Beyoncé has penned an open letter to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron demanding justice for the death of Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old emergency room technician who was killed in an unannounced police raid on her boyfriend’s Louisville apartment. The letter is available to read on the singer’s website.
In the letter, Beyoncé calls for criminal charges against the three Louisville Metro Police officers involved in Taylor’s death, stressing the fact that it’s been three months since the incident. “Three months have passed — and the LMPD’s investigations have created more questions than answers,” she wrote. “Their incident report states that Ms. Taylor suffered no injuries —yet we know she was shot at least eight times. The LMPD officers claim they announced themselves before forcing their way into Ms. Taylor’s apartment — but her boyfriend who was with her, as well as several neighbors, all say that this is untrue.”
The singer also called for an investigation of the Louisville Metro Police Department’s response to Taylor’s death, asking for “transparency in the investigation and prosecution of these officers’ criminal conduct”, as well as the “pervasive practices that result in the repeated deaths of unarmed Black citizens.”
“Your office has both the power and the responsibility to bring justice to Breonna Taylor, and demonstrate the value of a Black woman’s life,” the singer continued. “Don’t let this case fall into the pattern of no action after a terrible tragedy. With every death of a Black person at the hands of the police, there are two real tragedies: the death itself, and the inaction and delays that follow it. This is your chance to end that pattern.”
“Take swift and decisive action in charging the officers. The next months cannot look like the last three.”
The singer also encouraged her fans to sign the #JusticeforBre and Stand With Breonna petitions. For resources in the fight against racism and police brutality, as well as a list of organizations you can donate to, click here.
Read the letter in its entirety below.
