Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick weighed in on Wednesday’s decision from a grand jury in Louisville to not directly indict any police officers for the shooting and killing of Breonna Taylor.
“The white supremacist institution of policing that stole Breonna Taylor’s life from us must be abolished for the safety and well being of our people,” he tweeted.
Kaepernick was one of many inside the sports world to react to Wednesday’s news:
Ray Sanchez and Elizabeth Joseph of CNN reported on the developments surrounding the Taylor case on Wednesday, noting the grand jury decision came months after police shot and killed Taylor inside her apartment while executing a no-knock warrant on March 13. Her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired one shot at officers because he said they did not identify themselves and he thought they were intruders.
Former detective Brett Hankison was charged with first-degree wanton endangerment for shooting into an adjacent apartment, while Sgt. John Mattingly and Det. Myles Cosgrove were not charged.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said the officers were “justified in their use of force.”
Kaepernick made national headlines during his time with the 49ers for kneeling during the national anthem as a means of protesting police brutality and systemic racism. He led San Francisco to the Super Bowl and NFC Championship Game in back-to-back years during the 2012 and 2013 seasons and impressed in 2016 with 16 touchdown passes but has remained unsigned ever since.
The signal-caller was one of the most notable athletes to raise awareness of the fight against police brutality and systemic racism during and after his playing days. The fight has been a major focus in the sports world since play resumed following hiatuses for the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NBA and WNBA in particular have continued the fight with messages on their courts, shirts and jerseys. Players have used their platforms to call for justice for Taylor, George Floyd, Jacob Blake and others, and the Milwaukee Bucks were the first of many teams and individuals to refuse to play following the police shooting of Blake.
That led to a domino effect across many sports with games postponed.
Kaepernick is no longer on a team in the NFL, but he continues to lend a prominent voice to advocating for an end to systemic racism and police brutality.
