Ju’Niyah Palmer, the younger sister of the late Breonna Taylor, is speaking out after only one officer was charged following the investigation of her sister’s death.
She shared a throwback picture of herself and Taylor together following her graduation. She captioned the photo, “Sister I am so sorry.” Palmer also posted about the attorney general’s decision in her Instagram story. “Sister, you was failed by a system you worked hard for and I am so sorry,” she wrote. “I love you so so so so so much.”
Palmer shared an apartment with her sister, but was not home the night of the deadly drug raid. She previously spoke to The Washington Post about how close the two were. “She was my person,” she told the outlet. “I was her shadow.”
“She was my friend every day,” Palmer said. “There were no secrets between us at all.”
On Wednesday (Sep. 23), Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced that only one of the officers who was involved in the fatal shooting of the 26-year-old EMT would face charges. Former Louisville officer Brett Hankison was charged with three counts of wanton endangerment in the first degree. His bond has been set for $15,000. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.
The other two officers — Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove — were not charged for their involvement, although Cameron said that Cosgrove fired the shot which ultimately killed Taylor.
Cameron also said that Mattingly and Cosgrove were “justified” in their use of force that night. Under a self-defense law, the officers were exempt from criminal charges because Taylor’s boyfriend fired at them first. He also said that a witness confirmed the officers’ statements that they knocked and announced themselves before entering Taylor’s home.
The REVOLT team is sending our prayers and thoughts to Taylor’s family and friends during this tough time. Check out her sister’s Instagram posts below.
