Beyoncé publishes open letter calling for charges in Breonna Taylor case

Beyoncé Knowles published an open letter to Louisville attorney general Daniel Cameron on Sunday demanding that the officers who shot and killed Breonna Taylor be arrested and charged.

Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT and Louisville resident, was killed in March by Louisville police officers Jonathan Mattingly, Myles Cosgrove, and Brett Hankison, who were executing a no-knock search warrant at her home. Her boyfriend and neighbors have disputed the police’s assertion that, despite the no-knock warrant, they made themselves known before entering.

In the letter, which was posted on her official website, Knowles addresses this inconsistency, as well as the incident report’s claim that Taylor suffered “no injuries.” “Yet we know she was shot at least eight times,” she wrote.

She goes on to call for criminal charges for the three officers, a “commitment to transparency” as the officers’ conduct is investigated, and an investigation into the Louisville Metro Police Department’s handling of Taylor’s death.

“With every death of a Black person at the hands of police, there are two real tragedies: the death itself, and the inaction and delays that follow it,” she wrote. “This is your chance to end that pattern.”

On Friday, Louisville mayor Greg Fischer announced he would sign “Breonna’s Law,” which will ban no-knock warrants in the city. The FBI also opened an investigation into Taylor’s death on May 21. However, those campaigning for justice — including Knowles — want to see further action. In recent weeks, several petitions have circulated calling for the officers’ arrest. 

Demands for justice in Taylor’s case have ramped up on social media during the past few days in particular, as activists call on the public to fight for Black women, who are frequently overlooked in the ongoing struggle against police brutality.