Breonna Taylor‘s mother is fighting for justice on her daughter’s birthday.
As many Americans pay tribute to the essential worker who would have turned 27 today, Tamika Palmer is speaking out and hoping that any and all individuals responsible for her daughter’s death will be held accountable.
“We’re just coping with it. It’s hard, of course to celebrate her birthday with her not here. [It’s] just very difficult,” she shared on MSNBC Friday morning. “I want these officers arrested. I don’t think they should still be on payroll. That’s justice for Breonna. She’s not here. She’s still not getting paid. She doesn’t get to go to work every day.”
NBC News reports the FBI announced that it was investigating the death of Breonna, who was killed by police during a raid at her home in Louisville, Kentucky.
According to a lawsuit filed by Breonna’s family and obtained by NBC News, her boyfriend Kenneth Walker thought someone was burglarizing their home and allegedly fired his gun to defend his household. In turn, the police engaged in gunfire. Kenneth was arrested and charged with attempted murder on a police officer. His charges were eventually dropped.
Breonna’s family has received support from many Hollywood figures including Gabrielle Union, Kanye West and John Legend who penned an op-ed demanding justice.
“I’m just grateful that people are finally listening and standing up for it, the injustice,” Tamika shared with NBC News’ Ayman Mohyeldin. “It was a long two months to start this process but I’m grateful that it is being said and that there’s so many people listening and willing to stand up for what happened.”
And as protests continue around the world for George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement, Tamika hopes to share more about her daughter.
“She was a great daughter, a great niece, friend, cousin. This has affected a whole lot of people. My family, her friends, her co-workers, we’ve all been affected by this,” she explained. “Anybody who came in contact with her loved her. She just—she had that type of spirit and she cared for everybody and wanted to help and take care of any and everybody.”