Breonna Taylor’s mother has said her daughter “deserves justice” – a year after she was shot dead in a botched police raid.
Ms Taylor, 26, was killed when officers in Louisville, Kentucky, carried out a “no-knock” warrant and broke down her apartment door.
Her boyfriend thought it was someone breaking in and fired a single shot in self-defence, hitting one officer in the leg.
Tamika Palmer says the protesters’ actions have given her courage
Ms Taylor was shot multiple times when police fired dozens of shots in return.
Police were actually searching for an ex-partner of Ms Taylor who did not live at the address and no drugs were found in the property.
“Breonna was just full of life, she just didn’t deserve it,” her mother Tamika Palmer told NBC News.
Alongside George Floyd’s killing, her daughter’s death is one of several cases taken up by Black Lives Matter campaigners in their push for equality.
People protested in September when it was revealed officers would not face charges
Ms Palmer said the protesters’ push for justice has helped keep her going.
“There’s been plenty of times I don’t want to get up. But you roll over and look at your phone or the TV and they’re there before you. So how do you not show up?”
“She definitely deserves justice – but there’s so many people that deserve justice,” added Ms Palmer – who reached a $12m (£8.6m) settlement with the city of Louisville over the killing.
In December, she published an open letter in The Washington Post to President Joe Biden, who had considerable support among black voters in the US election.
She told him “actions speak louder than words” and “we fought for you, now it’s your turn to fight for us”.
“Breonna’s law” – banning “no-knock” warrants has been introduced in the city of Louisville and three states, but so far not in Kentucky.
Kentucky attorney general Daniel Cameron said officers were justified in shooting as the boyfriend fired first
Kentucky’s attorney general Daniel Cameron said officers were justified in shooting as her boyfriend had fired first during the raid on 13 March 2020.
The officers said they had announced their presence before forcing their way in – a claim disputed by some witnesses.
None of the police were charged over the killing – a decision that sparked protests across the US in September.
The officer shot in the leg is still on the force and the other two were dismissed.
The only indictment was against one officer for endangerment, after he accidentally shot into a neighbour’s property.
The case against Ms Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth L Walker, was permanently dropped this week.