"Significant progress" made in Breonna Taylor investigation, FBI says
Louisville, Kentucky – The FBI in Louisville, Kentucky, released a statement Saturday on an investigation into the circumstances of the shooting of Breonna Taylor, marking the one-year anniversary of her death.
"FBI Louisville remains steadfast in its commitment to bringing this investigation to its appropriate conclusion," Special Agent in Charge Robert Brown said in a statement that was shared on Twitter Saturday morning.
"Even though the COVID pandemic presented several unexpected obstacles, FBI Louisville has made significant progress in the investigation since it was initiated in May 2020. Our team is actively investigating all aspects of her death and will continue to work diligently until this investigation is completed," Brown added.
Taylor was a 26-year-old African American emergency room technician who was fatally shot by Louisville Metro Police Department officers in her Kentucky apartment on March 13, 2020.
In September, Taylor’s family and the city of Louisville announced a record $12-million settlement in a wrongful-death lawsuit.
The settlement, the largest-ever paid by the city in an officer-involved shooting case, also included a number of police reform measures.
Breonna Taylor's mother filed complaints against six officers
The FBI probe is seeking to determine whether Taylor’s civil rights were violated.
The agency said this week that there’s no timeline for the investigation to be completed, local television station WLKY reported.
Governor Andy Beshear also marked the date by issuing a statement to remember Taylor’s "tragic and unnecessary loss" and to highlight the "immense work we have ahead of us."
"I will never understand the unimaginable grief of [Taylor’s mother] Tamika Palmer and other family and loved ones, but I am committed to listening and working with others to build a more equitable and fair commonwealth for every Kentuckian," the Democrat said.
Earlier this week, Palmer filed internal affairs complaints against six officers with the Professional Standards Unit of the Louisville Metro Police Department, CNN reported Saturday.
Her attorney, Sam Aguiar, said in a statement that "these internal affairs complaints were filed to get answers, explanations, and accountability."
Palmer called the investigation of the shooting a "catastrophic failure," according to WDRB Louisville.
Cover photo: IMAGO / MediaPunch