Four current and former Kentucky police officers are facing charges over the fatal shooting of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor in Louisville.
The FBI arrested and brought civil rights charges against Joshua Jaynes, Brett Hankison and Kelly Goodlett, along with serving Louisville police Sergeant Kyle Meany.
The development was announced by US Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday, who said federal officials “share but cannot fully imagine the grief” felt by Taylor’s family.
Ms Taylor, a 26-year-old black medical worker, was shot to death by Louisville officers who had knocked down her door while executing the search warrant.
Her killing, along with that of George Floyd, fuelled a summer of protests against racial injustice and police violence in America two years ago.
Their deaths came against a background of systemic racism in the US where Black Americans are 3.5 times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans, according to a study last year.
Ms Taylor was killed when officers in Louisville, Kentucky, carried out a “no-knock” warrant and broke down her apartment door.
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Her boyfriend thought it was someone breaking in and fired a single shot in self-defence, hitting one officer in the leg.
Ms Taylor was shot multiple times when police fired dozens of shots in return.
Police were actually searching for an ex-partner of Ms Taylor who did not live at the address and no drugs were found in the property.
