(AllHipHop News) On March 13, Breonna Taylor was killed in her home with her boyfriend when three plainclothes Louisville police officers shot her eight times while breaking into her apartment with a no-knock warrant. The suspect of a narcotics investigation, who lived at another location, was reportedly already in law enforcement custody before the 26-year-old EMT’s death. No drugs were found in Taylor’s residence.
Unexplainable actions – such as the police’s four-page incident report being mostly blank and not mentioning that Taylor was shot during the encounter – led to widespread outrage across the world. #JusticeForBreonnaTaylor became one of the rallying cries during the recent #BlackLivesMatter global protests.
Louisville native Jack Harlow was among the people to hit the streets to demand that officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove be charged with a crime. The “Whats Poppin” performer pounded the pavement in his hometown as part of a group calling for Taylor’s killers to be held responsible.
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Harlow was a guest on the ninth episode of Lil Wayne’s Young Money Radio program on Apple Music. While the 22-year-old Generation Now/Atlantic Records signee linked with Wayne to promote his star-studded “Whats Poppin (Remix),” Harlow also discussed protesting on behalf of Breonna Taylor.
“That was a no brainer to me,” said Harlow. “For me, just being in a Black genre and growing up around Black people, like I said, it was a no brainer. It was a priority to get out there. There’s a lot of Black people in Louisville.”
He continued, “And then the Breonna Taylor thing being so close to home – that happened in my hometown. We just had to go back and just show face. You know what I mean? Moments like this are bigger than anything we’re working on, bigger than the ‘Whats Poppin (Remix),’ bigger than any of that.
Numerous other music artists have spoken out about the Breonna Taylor case as well. Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Cardi B, Meek Mill, Janelle Monáe, Common, Rapsody, Kehlani, The Game, Lizzo, Megan Thee Stallion, Nick Cannon, and Mysonne are among the many celebrities that have used their platforms to bring awareness to the heartbreaking tragedy.
Louisville Metro Police Department officer Brett Hankison was fired from the force for his involvement in the shooting of Taylor. He is said to be filing an appeal to keep his job. LMPD Police Chief Robert Schroeder told Hankison in a letter, “I am alarmed and stunned you used deadly force in this fashion.”
As of press time, none of the three cops involved in the death of Breonna Taylor have been arrested or charged with a crime. Her family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit on the grounds of battery, wrongful death, excessive force, negligence, and gross negligence.