Council President's Statement on Grand Jury Announcement in Breonna Taylor Death

Council President's Statement on Grand Jury Announcement in Breonna Taylor Death

BALTIMORE, MD (Wednesday, September 23, 2020) — Baltimore City Council President Brandon M. Scott released the following statement in response to the indictment of one out of the three police officers who killed Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, which along with the death of George Floyd, sparked massive civil rights protests against police brutality and systemic racism:

“An interaction with the police should not be a death sentence. The fact that this has been ongoing for hundreds of years is no excuse. Black people cannot be forced to live in fear of the police.

In Baltimore, during my remaining term as Council President, I will continue to march and protest alongside Baltimoreans for justice. I will work to ensure that our city’s police department continues to reform and build trust in our communities, beginning with the consent decree, but not stopping there.  We will continue to build on the work the City Council started this year, making responsible shifts from law enforcement to our schools, mental health response, and trauma-informed services.

And let’s be clear, we will push for justice, which is overdue.  All of us, every single resident of Baltimore has a responsibility to be honest about the problems created by systemic racism and to be brave in working together to repair them.

Breonna Taylor, her family, and America deserve better.  Let us work together peacefully to repair our communities and do a better job in serving and protecting our citizens."