Black Lives Matter protesters were gathering Wednesday night at Portland’s police station, after two of three officers involved in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor were cleared of wrongdoing, and the charges the third, now former, officer faces do not address Taylor’s death, WGME reported.
The Portland protest was peaceful, quiet and solemn, with about 50 or so Black Lives Matter members and others gathering at the police station before moving to Middle and Franklin streets where they sat in a large circle and told stories about their frustrations with police culture, WGME reported.
The protest came after a Kentucky grand jury’s announcement earlier in the day that fired Officer Brett Hankison was charged with three counts of wanton endangerment in connection to a police raid of Taylor’s home on March 13.
Taylor, an emergency medical worker, was shot several times by officers who entered her home using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation. The warrant used to search her home was connected to a suspect who did not live there, and no drugs were found inside.
Black Lives Matter had already scheduled a protest for Saturday before the announcement of charges Wednesday. They still plan to hold that demonstration, WGME reported.