NAACP Accuses AG Daniel Cameron Of 'Inappropriate Bias' Toward Police In Breonna Taylor Case
The fight for justice in the case of Breonna Taylor continues and now the NAACP has released a report about Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, which accused him of bias toward police.
According to the Courier Journal, a report from the NAACP's Legal Defense and Educational Fund stated, "What was presented to the grand jury in the case involving the police killing of Ms. Taylor betrayed the public's trust and confidence that accountability and justice would be sought in a fair and thorough presentation of charges before a grand jury.”
The NAACP accused Cameron of "inappropriate bias" in favor of the police officers and is calling for a new grand jury.
Via The Courier Journal, NAACP report claims Cameron's office presentation was biased because:
- It relied on one witness who said officers announced themselves as police, despite "contrary statements" from other witnesses;
- No prosecutors explained the lack of body-camera footage;
- Prosecutors presented "irrelevant evidence" that was prejudicial to Walker, including about a prior DUI and drug use;
- The officers were described as "acting in good faith" with a "valid" search warrant, despite questions about the sworn affidavit and without context about the federal investigation into how the warrant was obtained; and
- No evidence was presented regarding violations of police protocol, such as officers who fired their weapons remaining at the scene when they were supposed to be segregated.
Cameron has not commented on the report.
For weeks, Breonna Taylor’s family has been demanding that he recuse himself from the case and a special prosecutor be instituted instead. Cameron opposed the lifting of a gag order from the grand jurors after two members sought legal assistance to allow them to go public with their stories. After they went public, they said they were not allowed to even consider homicide charges against the police officers who killed Taylor.
After midnight on March 13, officers Brett Hankison, Myles Cosgrove and John Mattingly executed a “no-knock” warrant at Taylor's apartment which she shared with her boyfriend Kenneth Walker. Believing they were intruders, Walker fired his weapon and gunfire from the officers ensued. Taylor, 26, was struck six times and died. Cameron claimed the warrant was not a no-knock and the police announced themselves prior to entering the apartment. This has been disputed by Walker and other neighbors who heard the incident.
On Sept. 23, the grand jury returned three counts of “wanton endangerment” in the first degree against Hankinson for firing into another apartment. A $15,000 cash bond was also attached to the charges. The other two officers, Mattingly and Cosgrove, were not charged and remain on the police force. Hankinson was fired in July.
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