Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick reacted to the news of the charging of one of the three officers involved in the incident that led to Breonna Taylor’s death by calling for abolition of “the white supremacist institution of policing.”
Fired Louisville police officer Brett Hankison was charged with three counts of wanton endangerment, a Class D felony that carries a possible sentence of 1 to 5 years imprisonment per charge, for firing rounds that went into a neighbor’s apartment during the ill-fated March 2020 raid in which Taylor was killed. No officers were charged specifically for Taylor’s death.
“The white supremacist institution of policing that stole Breonna Taylor’s life from us must be abolished for the safety and well being of our people,” Kaepernick tweeted, along with the hashtags “#BreonnaTaylor,” “#SayHerName,” and “#AbolishThePolice.”
The white supremacist institution of policing that stole Breonna Taylor’s life from us must be abolished for the safety and well being of our people. #BreonnaTaylor #SayHerName #AbolishThePolice
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 23, 2020
Though Kaepernick’s decision to take a knee in protest to perceived police brutality during the national anthem before games in 2016 while he was the starting quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers wasn’t as positively received then, it has since become something of a national trend across professional sports. The former quarterback hasn’t been able to find a job with another team, but has become a prominent advocate on social justice issues since being released by the 49ers in 2017. (RELATED: Colin Kaepernick Wears Socks Depicting Cops As Pigs)
Protests and demonstrations rocked Louisville after the grand jury’s decision was announced in the Breonna Taylor incident.