Breonna Taylor killing: Police officer facing criminal charges six months after shooting

A police officer has been indicted on criminal charges following the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor in March, which led to months of protests across the US.

Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician, was woken from her bed before being shot several times after police burst into her Kentucky apartment at night using a so-called “no knock” arrest warrant that did not require them to announce themselves.

Police typically use them in drug cases over concerns that evidence could be destroyed if they announce their arrival.

The warrant used, however, was connected to a suspect who did not live there, and no drugs were found inside the home.

The use of no-knock warrants has since been banned by Louisville’s Metro Council.

Ms Taylor’s death sparked months of protests in Louisville and across the US, with the demonstrations intensified by the high-profile killings of other unarmed African Americans by police, such as George Floyd in Minneapolis and Daniel Prude in Rochester, New York.

Before the decision, the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) declared a “state of emergency”, with all holiday and leave cancelled and officers expected to work 12-hour shifts.  SKY NEWS