More outrage as US police shoot black medical worker sleeping at home
WASHINGTON: The police killing of a 26-year-old emergency health worker in her apartment in Kentucky has triggered a fresh wave of anger in the United States over officers shooting black civilians.
Protests under the slogan "Black Lives Matter" have erupted regularly since 2012 over the shootings of unarmed African-Americans, with many accusing the police of racially-biased brutality.
Ms Breonna Taylor, an emergency medical technician, and her boyfriend were asleep when the police burst in and shot her eight times on March 13, lawyer Ben Crump said.
Officers had the wrong address in the city of Louisville and used a battering ram to enter the apartment without warning. They were searching for a suspect already in custody, Mr Crump said.
Ms Taylor's boyfriend is still being held after the raid, while no police officer has been charged over her death.
The police department "has not provided any answers regarding the facts and circumstances of how this tragedy occurred, nor have they taken responsibility for her senseless killing," Mr Crump said in a statement.
A lawsuit was filed last month accusing officers of wrongful death, excessive force and gross negligence, according to The Washington Post.
"My priority is that the truth comes out, and for justice to follow," Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said Tuesday.
"The Breonna Taylor case is currently under investigation... Police work can involve incredibly difficult situations. Additionally, residents have rights."
Cases of US police brutality against people of colour have become increasingly high-profile in recent years, sparking national protests.
In one of the most well-known cases, a white police officer killed Mr Michael Brown - an 18-year-old black man - in Missouri in 2014.
Along with the fatal shooting of Mr Trayvon Martin in 2012 by a neighbourhood watchman, the case inspired the Black Lives Matter movement. - AFP
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