Cameras could give clues to vandalized Breonna Taylor mural

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Last week it emerged that Breonna Taylor’s mural, unveiled on June 4, on the basketball court at Lannan Memorial Park in the Portland neighborhood of Louisville had been vandalized.


What would you like to know

  • Breonna Taylor’s mural in Lannan Park has been vandalized
  • Two security cameras on the basketball court could provide answers
  • Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer confirmed to Spectrum News on Monday, June 14, that the camera footage had been transmitted to LMPD.
  • The images should be released this week

So far, no information has been released by the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) on possible suspects, but two basketball court security cameras could provide answers.

“When people do bad things like this, we have to hold them accountable,” Antonio Taylor told Spectrum News 1.

Taylor, who is a member of the LMPD Civil Review Panel, said Friday evening, June 11, that he brought a few members of an Atlanta-based film crew to view the mural because they were there. interested as a possible filming location. .

“So when we pulled over I had no idea it had been vandalized,” Taylor said.

However, as they walked into the courthouse, they quickly discovered that the mural had been disfigured.

“This one, we actually took it down and we just touched it to see, and we realized it was tire marks,” Taylor said of the black markings on the lip of the tire. the mural, which now shows what appears to be gravel below.

The disfigured fresco of Breonna Taylor (Spectrum News 1 / Brennon Gurley)

The other two black markings are on the right eye and the white lettering of the mural, indicating that the mural was dedicated by the Russ Smith Foundation.

Disfigured Mural (Spectrum News 1 / Brennon Gurley)

Two security cameras and a speaker are located on the basketball court. Taylor said as he walked onto the basketball court, the loudspeaker came on with the voice of an unidentified woman.

“It said the park was closed and we had to leave the area, and we were being filmed,” Taylor said. Taylor added that he and the other people with him noticed but continued to take photos of what happened on the basketball court.

Then Taylor said another loudspeaker announcement came and issued another warning that the park is closed and must leave immediately or authorities will be called.

“So at that point we continued to stay here and our goal of staying was to see if the authorities showed up and if the authorities never showed up,” Taylor said, referring to the time they were. there until they leave.

Taylor said the woman did not indicate which department she belonged to, but he assumed she belonged to the Louisville subway parks department.

“And I know they were watching us live because they said there were four of us,” Taylor said. “So it wasn’t something pre-recorded. It was something they were looking at us now. So it reassured me a little that they have their eyes on the park at all times. “

Some time after the two loudspeaker announcements, Taylor, who is also a 502 Livestreamer, broadcast live on Facebook near the basketball court about the vandalism starting at 9:24 p.m. ET.

During his live Facebook broadcast, Taylor spoke to a man who said he runs the baseball league that plays at Lannan Park. Taylor asked the gentleman, who could be heard but never seen on the livestream, if “they”, referring to the Louisville Metro Parks Department, were aware of the vandalism on Breonna Taylor’s mural.

– Yes, the man replied.

Taylor asked the man how long the vandalism had been there, and he responded within days.

At an independent press conference on Monday, June 14, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer told Spectrum News 1 that late last week the Louisville Metro Parks Department was reviewing how to fix the mural .

“And trying to make sure that nothing like this happens again, there are also cameras around the facility, so we handed that over to LMPD,” Fischer said.

Sam Aguiar, one of Breonna Taylor’s family lawyers, donated the money for the two security cameras installed on the basketball court.

Aguiar told Spectrum News 1 via text message that “I understand and expect him to [camera footage] will be released this week.

Taylor said he was told plans were underway to fix the mural, but did not say who told him this or what specific details were.

“But that’s not who our community is. We will get up. We will stand up and be strong for our sister Breonna Taylor, ”Taylor said.

Spectrum News 1 contacted LMPD and Louisville Metro Parks Department on Monday but had no response.

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