MLB team says its a "great day to arrest the killers of Breonna Taylor"
The Tampa Bay Rays on Twitter have called for the arrest of the officers involved in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor, a Black emergency technician who was killed by police in March. The team on Friday morning tweeted: "Today is Opening Day, which means it's a great day to arrest the killers of Breonna Taylor."
Today is Opening Day, which means it's a great day to arrest the killers of Breonna Taylor
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 24, 2020
The team followed up the tweet announcing a $100,000 donation to local groups. The contribution, which will run annually, is meant to "build power within communities that have been historically overlooked and purposefully disadvantaged because of systemic racism."
Among the organizations receiving the money include the NAACP's Hillsborough County Branch, the Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa, Inc., which focuses on creating opportunities for people to "build prosperous futures and vibrant communities," the Pinellas County Urban League, which centers around providing economic empowerment, educational opportunities and the guarantee of civil rights in Pinellas County, Florida.
The Rays organization has committed $100,000 to local groups @CDCofTampa_ @PCUrbanLeague @eji_org Remembrance Project @NAACP5139 @pinellasreentry who fight systemic racism. Please visit our social justice resource guide: https://t.co/irYdBs9eMM #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/O0S6LaBGDH
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 24, 2020
Taylor, 26, was fatally shot by police on March 25 during a drug raid as she slept in her Louisville home. Police did not find any narcotics during the search.
None of the three officers involved have been charged. One of the officers, Sargeant Brett Hankison, was fired from the Louisville police department. The two others, Myles Cosgrove and Jonathan Mattingly, were placed on administrative leave.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron is investigating the case, but activists and supporters of Taylor believe the investigation isn't moving fast enough.
Pro-athletes, especially NBA players such as LeBron James, have kept Taylor's name in the spotlight. The WNBA will allow players to wear Taylor's name on their jerseys, along with other victims killed in alleged acts of police brutality or racial violence.
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