This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen
on .
It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
Breonna Taylor decision: two officers shot in Louisville as protests erupt across US – live
Breonna Taylor decision: two officers shot in Louisville as protests erupt across US – live
(32 minutes later)
Crowds gather from coast to coast after just one officer involved in Taylor’s killing is charged with wanton endangerment
Crowds gather from coast to coast after just one officer involved in Taylor’s killing is charged with wanton endangerment
Here is video from the protests in Detroit:
And two from the protests in New York:
Hi, my name is Helen Sullivan and I’ll be bringing you the latest for the next while.
As always, we really appreciate news, updates, good photographs or anything else from the protests in your city.
Get in touch on Twitter @helenrsullivan or send me an email: helen.sullivan@theguardian.com.
What we know so far
Two police officers in Louisville were shot tonight and suffer non-life-threatening injuries. Louisville police have one suspect in custody, but it is unclear whether the suspect and the shooting were related to protests that were happening in the city. One officer is undergoing surgery while the second is alert and stable. The police have not given any other information to press.
After it was announced a grand jury decided not to charge the three police officers involved in the killing of Breonna Taylor, who was shot by police in March, protests have been happening in Louisville all throughout the afternoon. Protests were largely peaceful, though confrontations became tense as police attempted to disperse crowds and started to warn protesters about the city’s 9 pm curfew. Arrests were made earlier in the day of people who refused to disperse in closed-off areas.
Thousands of people across the country have turned their anger over the grand jury’s decision into largely peaceful protests. Nearly every major US city saw protesters chanting “Say her name! Breonna Taylor” and “No justice, no peace”. Posters and shrines dedicated to Taylor were seen all around as protestors marched through city streets.
Two officers were shot in Louisville tonight, both suffering non-life-threatening injuries, said Robert Schroeder chief of the Louisville Metro Police Department at a brief press conference.
Two officers were shot in Louisville tonight, both suffering non-life-threatening injuries, said Robert Schroeder chief of the Louisville Metro Police Department at a brief press conference.
One of the officers is currently undergoing surgery, while a second is “alert and stable”. The officers were shot at around 8:30 pm. Police have one suspect in custody. It is unclear whether the shootings were in connection to the protests that were happening downtown.
One of the officers is currently undergoing surgery, while a second is “alert and stable”. The officers were shot at around 8.30pm. Police have one suspect in custody. It is unclear whether the shootings were in connection to the protests that were happening downtown.
While protests in the city turned tense as the day went on and police attempted to disperse protesters, the demonstrations throughout the day were largely peaceful.
While protests in the city turned tense as time went on and police attempted to disperse protesters, the demonstrations throughout the day were largely peaceful.
Though protests in Louisville have led to tense confrontations between the police and protesters, demonstrations around the country have been largely peaceful.
Though protests in Louisville have led to tense confrontations between the police and protesters, demonstrations around the country have been largely peaceful.
A crowd of people are marching in downtown Austin, chanting “say her name! Breonna Taylor” and holding signs that say “Justice for Breonna Taylor”.
A crowd of people are marching in downtown Austin, chanting “say her name! Breonna Taylor” and holding signs that say “Justice for Breonna Taylor”.
Protests are happening in nearly every major city. Protesters in Dallas are chanting “we’re young, we’re strong, we’re marching all night long”.
Protests are happening in nearly every major city. Protesters in Dallas are chanting “we’re young, we’re strong, we’re marching all night long”.
Meanwhile, huge crowds have gathered in New York City, where multiple protests have popped up around the city.
Meanwhile, huge crowds have gathered in New York City, where multiple protests have popped up around the city.
Some local news outlets in Louisville have reported that an additional officer has been shot. The Louisville Metro Police Department said it will hold a press conference tonight to provide more information on the “officer shootings”.
Some local news outlets in Louisville have reported that an additional officer has been shot. The Louisville Metro Police Department said it will hold a press conference tonight to provide more information on the “officer shootings”.
The Louisville Metro Police Department has confirmed that one of their officers has been shot, according to multiple outlets. Reports say the officer has been taken to a hospital downtown. No other information seems to be available at this time.
The Louisville Metro Police Department has confirmed that one of their officers has been shot, according to multiple outlets. Reports say the officer has been taken to a hospital downtown. No other information seems to be available at this time.
Multiple videos with gunshots ringing out in the background are floating around on Twitter, though it is unclear when the officer was shot. The city’s curfew started at 9pm.
Multiple videos with gunshots ringing out in the background are floating around on Twitter, though it is unclear when the officer was shot. The city’s curfew started at 9pm.
Joe Biden just released a statement on today’s Breonna Taylor decision. While many lawmakers in the Democratic party have taken stronger stances against the decision, Biden called for people to wait for the federal investigation that will provide a “final judgment of that investigation”.
Joe Biden just released a statement on today’s Breonna Taylor decision. While many lawmakers in the Democratic party have taken stronger stances against the decision, Biden called for people to wait for the federal investigation that will provide a “final judgment of that investigation”.
“I know people are frustrated and they have a right to peacefully protest, but violence is never acceptable,” the statement read.
“I know people are frustrated and they have a right to peacefully protest, but violence is never acceptable,” the statement read.
Protests in the largest US cities have started to balloon in size. In Washington DC, hundreds have gathered at Black Lives Matter Plaza, which the city placed in direct view of the White House.
Protests in the largest US cities have started to balloon in size. In Washington DC, hundreds have gathered at Black Lives Matter Plaza, which the city placed in direct view of the White House.
Hundreds of people holding signs and chanting could be seen walking down the streets of Atlanta and New York City.
Hundreds of people holding signs and chanting could be seen walking down the streets of Atlanta and New York City.
Curfew in Louisville is set to start at 9pm, but police have already released tear gas in attempts to disperse a crowd of protestors.
Curfew in Louisville is set to start at 9pm, but police have already released tear gas in attempts to disperse a crowd of protestors.
Actor George Clooney released a powerful statement on Breonna Taylor’s case, pushing back on Kentucky attorney general Daniel Cameron’s assertion that celebrities and influences from outside the state “will tell us how to feel”, “suggesting they understand the facts of this case and that they know our community and the commonwealth better than we do”.
Actor George Clooney released a powerful statement on Breonna Taylor’s case, pushing back on Kentucky attorney general Daniel Cameron’s assertion that celebrities and influences from outside the state “will tell us how to feel”, “suggesting they understand the facts of this case and that they know our community and the commonwealth better than we do”.
Clooney wrote: “I was born and raised in Kentucky. Cut tobacco on the farms of Kentucky. Both my parents and my sister in Kentucky. I own a home in Kentucky, and I was there last month.
Clooney wrote: “I was born and raised in Kentucky. Cut tobacco on the farms of Kentucky. Both my parents and my sister in Kentucky. I own a home in Kentucky, and I was there last month.
“I know the community. I know the commonwealth. And I was taught in the schools and churches of Kentucky what is right and what is wrong. I’m ashamed of this decision.”
“I know the community. I know the commonwealth. And I was taught in the schools and churches of Kentucky what is right and what is wrong. I’m ashamed of this decision.”
Police in Louisville are making warnings over a loud intercom that if protesters don’t disperse after 9 pm, when the city-wide curfew starts, the police may “dispense chemical agents and you may be arrested”.
Protestors in Grand Rapids, Michigan have started to gather outside of the city’s police headquarters, demanding that the police chief join them outside and kneel with them.
Protests are under way in over a dozen US cities in response to the three officers involved in the killing of Breonna Taylor not being charged for her death.
A group in Washington D.C. is chanting “no justice, no peace”, with cars honking in support, while hundreds of people have gathered outside the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, kneeling in honor of Taylor.
Protesters in Atlanta are shouting “Say her name! Breonna Taylor!”
Crowds are starting to be seen in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Kansas City and Indianapolis. Meanwhile in Louisville, where protests have been happening since the decision was announced in the afternoon, protesters are still out just a few hours before the city’s curfew at 9 pm. Earlier today, police arrested some protesters in Louisville after they refused to disperse.
After months of Trump’s attempts to delegitimize mail-in voting, which will take place at an unprecedented scale this year because of the pandemic, concerns about what the president will do if he loses have been abound. Joe Biden has been raising money specifically for a transition team that the campaign hopes to be staffed with at least 350 by the time of an inauguration.
At a press conference tonight, Donald Trump refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power should he lose the election this year, bolstering concerns that his rhetoric against mail-in voting signals trouble if the results are close.
When asked by a reporter if he would commit himself to a peaceful transfer of power after the election, Trump said: “Well, we’re going to have to see what happens.”
“I’ve been complaining strongly about the ballots, and the ballots are a disaster,” Trump said.
“Get rid of the ballots … and there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation.”
Trump has been saying the same version of this over the last few weeks, saying at a rally that the only way he could lose the election is if there is fraud in the election, teeing up doubt over any result that is not in his favor.
“The only way we’re going to lose this election is if the election is rigged,” he said. “It’s the only way we’re going to lose this election, so we have to be very careful.”
Top US intelligence officials have debunked Trump’s claims that mail-in ballots are ripe for fraud. Instead, the FBI put out a public service announcement yesterday that Americans should beware of misinformation from foreign actors spreading online, especially around election night.
At the White House’s press conference, Scott Atlas, White House advisor on the Covid-19 pandemic, said that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Robert Redfield had “misstated” things when he told Congress that 90% of the population remains susceptible to Covid-19.
Atlas said that the CDC data that Redfield cites is “old” and that looking at antibodies from the virus is not the only way to determine immunity. When asked by a reporter whether Americans should believe CDC or himself, Atlas said: “You’re supposed to believe the science, and I’m telling you the science.”
Atlas also reiterated his belief that “we’re going to have a vaccine highly likely in far less than one year, but without cutting any safety corners.”
He said that the White House should be praised for its efforts to push out a vaccine. “You shouldn’t be punished for doing something faster than people have done or thought.”
When asked later if he can confirm that there is no clear-cut timeframe for when the vaccine will be released, Atlas said he is merely repeating what he’s hearing from people in charge of vaccine development. “It is highly likely we will have a vaccine before the end of the year,” he said, though he added later that “no one can really say with certainty when it’s coming. That’s just impossible.”
Atlas also commented on reports that Dr Deborah Birx, a member of the White House coronavirus taskforce, believes that Atlas has been a negative influence on the president. “It’s completely false,” he said.
Donald Trump just held a brief press conference before he left to take “an emergency phone call”. Trump did not say what the phone call was about before he left the room.
When asked to comment on Breonna Taylor’s case, Trump said that he “thought it was really brilliant”.
Trump, who said he had not been briefed on the grand jury’s decision when asked about it earlier this afternoon, said that the Kentucky attorney general, Daniel Cameron, “is doing a fantastic job. I think he’s a star.” The president quoted Cameron’s statement that “justice is not easy” and “mob justice is not justice”. “I heard that I said write that down for me please,” Trump said.
“I think it’s a very positive thing it’ll all work out,” he added.
When asked about whether he will allow a peaceful transition of power if he loses the election, Trump doubled down on his anger toward mail-in ballots. “Get rid of the ballots and there will be a continuation. The ballots are out of control.”
Protests in Louisville have been going for hours since Kentucky’s attorney general, Daniel Cameron, announced this afternoon the decision from a grand jury for the case of Breonna Taylor. None of the officers involved were charged for the killing.
Multiple cities are bracing for protests, but Louisville’s protest is well underway. Some protesters have been arrested for refusing to disperse on a closed-off street.
Here’s a look at what’s happening at the protest in Louisville.
The Guardian’s Kari Paul reports:
ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, requested a preliminary injunction on Wednesday against an order from Donald Trump that would ban the popular video sharing app if it is not sold to an American company by the end of the week.
The looming ban stems from an executive order the president issued on 6 August to address supposed security concerns surrounding TikTok as well as China-owned messaging app WeChat.
Both apps were to be removed from stores on 20 September, according to the executive order, unless they were sold to a US-based company.
WeChat managed to obtain an extension on Monday when a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against the ban. TikTok got a one-week extension on the ban as it continued to broker a deal with tech firm Oracle regarding US operations of the app.
After that extension runs out, TikTok will be removed from app stores at 11:59 pm ET on Sunday, 27 September, prohibiting new downloads of the app and software updates for existing users.
To avoid that, TikTok is requesting “preliminary injunctive relief” that would prevent that ban from going into effect and is requesting a response from Trump and the Commerce Department by Friday at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Missouri governor and noted mask skeptic Mike Parson and his wife, Teresa Parson, have both tested positive for Covid-19.
Parson, 65, appears to have no symptoms, but has postponed all events, including ones for his re-election campaign.
Despite pressure from public health officials, including the White House’s coronavirus taskforce, to issue a state-wide mask mandate, Parson held firm that the decision should be up to local government officials. Cases of the virus have been rising in the state, which saw a record number of new cases in a single week last week.
Throughout the summer, even as cases started to spike in Missouri, Parson was seen out in public without a mask. The governor said that he wore masks when it is required but said he did not wear one when he thinks social distancing is possible. Multiple pictures the governor posted of himself from over the summer show him shaking hands and standing close with people without a mask.
“It’s just a choice you’ve got to make,” he said.
This is Lauren Aratani taking over from Joan E Greve. Cities are bracing themselves for protests tonight following the grand jury’s decision in the case of the officers who killed Breonna Taylor.
The Associated Press spotted a few demonstrators being arrested by police in Louisville, though reasons for the arrest are unclear. Protesters have been gathering in downtown Louisville for hours since the decision was announced. The city set a curfew that will start at 9pm tonight and end at 6.30 am today morning.
Meanwhile Chicago officials are preparing for massive protests. Mayor Lori Lightfoot asked that protests remain peaceful and called for a city-wide moment of silence at 7 pm in remembrance of Taylor. Word of protests in New York City tonight have also begun to spread.
That’s it from me today. My Guardian colleague Lauren Aratani will be taking over the blog for the next few hours.
Here’s where the day stands so far:
A grand jury indicted one police officer involved in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor. Former Louisville police officer Brett Hankinson faces three felony counts of first-degree wanton endangerment for blindly shooting into the apartments of Taylor’s neighbors. However, no charges were filed in direct relation to the killing of Taylor.
Kentucky’s attorney general said the two other officers involved in Taylor’s shooting were not charged because their use of force was justified. Attorney general Daniel Cameron argued Sgt Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove were in the right because Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired off a shot before they fatally struck Taylor. But Walker has said the officers did not properly identify themselves when they entered the apartment, which Cameron denied.
The indictment was met with rage among those who had called for the officers to be brought to justice. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the Taylor family, denounced the decision as “outrageous and offensive”.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was honored with a private ceremony at the supreme court. The late justice will lie in repose at the supreme court today and tomorrow, and Trump is expected to pay his respects to Ginsburg tomorrow.
Members of the White House coronavirus taskforce testified before a Senate committee. The commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Stephen Hahn, pledged that the authorization of a coronavirus vaccine would be “based on science and data, not politics”.
