Protests Flare Nationwide Over Breonna Taylor Grand Jury Decision; Two Officers Shot in Louisville

Protesters fill the streets during a march for Breonna Taylor on September 23, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. Natasha Moustache/Getty Images

Protests flared in Louisville—and elsewhere around the country—Wednesday evening after a Kentucky grand jury failed to indict the three officers for the death of 26-year-old emergency medical technician Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed in her own apartment by police in March . In Louisville, two police officers were shot—and sustained non-life-threatening injuries—while responding to shots fired around 8:30 p.m. in a large crowd. A suspect in the shooting has been arrested but the alleged shooter’s identity has not been released.

In response to the grand jury announcement and the unrest that followed, President Donald Trump tweeted: “Praying for the two police officers that were shot tonight in Louisville, Kentucky. The Federal Government stands behind you and is ready to help. Spoke to @GovAndyBeshear and we are prepared to work together, immediately upon request!” When asked by a reporter whether he thought justice was done by the lack of indictment and whether he had a message for the Black community, the president of the Untied States of America had this to say: “Well, my message is that I love the Black community and I’ve done more for the Black community than any other president, and I say with the possible exception of Abraham Lincoln, and I mean that, with opportunity zones, and with criminal justice reform, with prison reform, with what we’ve done for historically Black universities, colleges, schools, what we’ve done. Abraham Lincoln, let’s give him the nod, but beyond that, nobody’s done more. I love the Black community.” Later, just after midnight, Trump tweeted: “LAW & ORDER!”

Large protests were held in Louisville as 500 members of the National Guard were called in to to assist in response. Dozens of arrests were made in the night of protests. Elsewhere, large protests were held in other major cities, including: New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Portland.

In Portland, demonstrators clashed with police who declared protests “unlawful assembly” before making arrests. In Buffalo, a pickup truck barreled through a protest appearing to target protesters.

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