LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — In honor of the one-year anniversary of Breonna Taylor's death, the group LPD Accountability held a car caravan protest in downtown Lexington Saturday afternoon.
The caravan rolled through with signs and messages written on their windows, like 'Say Her Name' and 'Justice for Breonna Taylor.' Those are phrases that have often been repeated since Taylor was shot and killed during a police raid on March 13, 2020.
“Black people's lives matter. Black women's lives matter and the police who killed Breonna Taylor need to be held accountable,” said community organizer April Taylor.
April Taylor says they also wanted to raise awareness of former Louisville Metro Police Officer Brett Hankison's previous service with the Lexington Police Department before he joined the LMPD. She feels there are issues with the city's collective bargaining agreement with police that allowed Hankison to leave the Lexington Police Department instead of being fired after apparent issues.
“Had he been fired, he may not have gone on to work for the LMPD,” said April Taylor.
The group made six laps through the downtown area, symbolizing the six demands they have for the Lexington Police Department. There was also a small group that chanted outside of the police station on East Main Street.
“Most of the demands do have to do with the collective bargaining agreement in terms of how long disciplinary records are kept, whether or not there is the existence of a police civilian review board,” said April Taylor. “Also, whether or not the current charges against protesters are dropped."
The current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire this summer. The group says they will continue bringing light to the issues and pushing for change.
