LeBron James will not give up in the fight for justice for Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old African-American woman who was fatally shot by police officers in Louisville, Kentucky on March 13. Five months later, the cops still have not been arrested, and like so many others, LeBron is publicly calling for them to be. On Aug. 18, he made a major statement by mocking Donald Trump’s signature ‘Make America Great Again’ hats with one of his own. However, LeBron’s hat read, “Make America Arrest The Cops Who Killed Breonna Taylor,” instead.
In addition to his wardrobe choice, LeBron also discussed the situation during the post-game press conference. “[It’s] an innocent woman being killed by the name of Breonna Taylor,” he said. “A woman who had a bright future, and her life was taken away from her. There’s been no arrests. There’s been no justice, not only for her, but for her family, and we want to continue to shed light on the situation. It’s just unjust. That’s what it’s about.”
Breonna, who worked as an emergency medical technician, was killed when police officers entered her home via a no-knock search warrant. The warrant was for an investigation into two men who were suspected of selling drugs. Police believed that one of the men received packages with illegal drugs at Breonna’s home.
During the raid, Breonna was home with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker. Walker opened fire on the officers with his registered firearm because, he said, he thought they were intruders. When the officers fired back, Breonna was shot eight times and killed. Celebrities like Cardi B, Rihanna and many more have been repeatedly calling for the cops’ arrest in the months since Breonna’s death.
LeBron’s latest statement comes amidst the NBA playoffs in Orlando, Florida. His team, the Los Angeles Lakers, took on the Portland Trailblazers in the first game of round one on Aug. 18. The Trailblazers won 100-93. LeBron, along with all of the other NBA stars who are participating in the playoffs, are currently quarantined in Orlando amidst the coronavirus pandemic.