Statement by National NOW President Christian F. Nunes
The Justice Department’s decision to ask that the officer found guilty of violating the civil rights of Breonna Taylor in 2020 be sentenced to one day in jail is one more step by this government towards injustice, and a betrayal of a jury’s verdict which held the officer responsible for attempted murder.
The jury issued a special finding that Officer Brett Hankison’s conduct amounted to attempted murder, and that he used excessive force when he fired 10 shots through Taylor’s apartment window and door, several of which penetrated building walls and entered an adjoining unit
The murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and so many others are not happening in isolation. They are the culmination of a long history of policies, practices, and cultural values that continue to uphold white supremacy.
People of color–particularly women–lose their lives and sacrifice their dignity every day as a result of this toxic system.
By sentencing this officer to a single day in prison, the Justice Department is saying, “never mind” to all that, and what’s more, stop pushing for justice.
But we won’t stop. Women know this is not okay. We will not let the forces of injustice prevail, and we call on the courts to start enforcing civil rights protections, instead of letting them be ignored, gutted and erased.
