On Wednesday, a grand jury in Kentucky indicted only one of the three officers who were involved in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman who was killed after the cops served a no-knock warrant at her home and subsequently opened fire, killing her as she slept. Many have voiced their frustrations over this decision, saying that justice has not been served in this situation. In response to this public outcry, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron issued a statement in which he warned that those who have never lived in Kentucky would try to co-opt the narrative about Taylor’s murder. George Clooney, a Kentucky native, has spoken out in response to Cameron’s statement with some bold words of his own.
“There will be celebrities, influencers and activists who have never lived in Kentucky who try to 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,” Cameron said on Wednesday while announcing the grand jury decision. “But, they do not.”
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Shortly after the attorney general said those words, Kentucky native Clooney has stated to The Hollywood Reporter to express how much he is “ashamed” over the grand jury’s decision. “I was born and raised in Kentucky. Cut tobacco on the farms of Kentucky. Both my parents and my sister live in Kentucky. I own a home in Kentucky, and I was there last month,” he said. “The justice system I was raised to believe in holds people responsible for their actions. Her name was Breonna Taylor and she was shot to death in her bed by three white police officers, who will not be charged with any crime for her death.” Despite what Cameron had to say about Hollywood stars, Clooney stressed that he does know the community, which makes this situation all the more difficult. He added, “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.”
Clooney was one of the many individuals who was outraged by the grand jury’s decision. Taylor was killed in her sleep in March when three officers — Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove — served a no-knock warrant at her residence and subsequently opened fire. Hankison, who was also the only one of the three who appeared to have been fired from the Louisville Police Department, was indicted on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment. This decision was made based on the prosecutable evidence that was available to merit charges.
