Breonna Taylor: Mother of black Louisville police shooting victim calls for peaceful protest

‘Please keep demanding justice and accountability, but let’s do it the right way without hurting each other’

The mother of Breonna Taylor, who was killed by police in her own home earlier this year, has asked those protesting her death to be peaceful, after seven people were shot during protests in Louisville, Kentucky.

Ms Taylor, an emergency medical technician, was shot at least eight times by police after they broke down her door in a drug raid on 13 May, but no narcotics were found in the residence.

The police said that Ms Taylor was inadvertently shot in the crossfire during the raid, but their use of force has been questioned, as has the practice of raiding a residence without giving warning.

The protests have coincided with demonstrations across the US against police brutality against African-Americans, following the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by police.

After seven protesters were shot in Louisville on Thursday, Ms Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer called for protesters to demonstrate peacefully, in a statement read by Kentucky governor Andy Beshear.

Ms Palmer said that the last thing her daughter would "want right now is any more violence.”

Her statement read: “Please keep saying her name. Please keep demanding justice and accountability, but let’s do it the right way without hurting each other.

“We can and we will make some real change here. Now is the time. Let’s make it happen, but safely."

Mr Beshear said that the protests started peacefully, but that some people “turned it into something that it should not have been,” later in the day.

“During these times, we can condemn violence while also trying to listen, to understand, to know that there is deep frustration, rightfully so, in our country,” Mr Beshear said.

“There has not been enough action on creating equality, of opportunity and in health care. And in a time of this Covid-19 pandemic, it’s laid bare all of that,” the governor added.

Louisville’s mayor, Greg Fischer, also called for peaceful protests, but confirmed that no-knock warrants would be suspended by their police force, as part of changes to policy following Ms Taylor’s death.

Mr Fischer added: “To the people who gathered downtown last night to protest, and to many more throughout our city and throughout our country who feel angry, hurt, afraid, frustrated, tired and sick of story after story of black lives ending at the hands of law enforcement, I hear you.”