Fury and heartbreak over outcome in Breonna Taylor case

Protests took place across the US after Wednesday's indictment in the Breonna Taylor case. Here's what you need to know:

The indictment: Only one of the three officers involved in Taylor's death was indicted on first-degree wanton endangerment charges.

The other two officers who also fired shots during the botched March raid were not indicted, meaning no officer was charged with killing Taylor.

The public reaction: Demonstrators and activists immediately criticized the charges against the former detective, Brett Hankison.

Attorney Ben Crump, who represents Taylor's family, called the indictment "outrageous and offensive." The NAACP also said the justice system "failed" Taylor and the charges against one officer do "not go far enough."

Tamika Palmer, Taylor's mother, was surrounded by her youngest daughter, sister, and attorneys when she learned that only one officer would be indicted for wanton endangerment.

There was "a lot of sadness and weeping," said Christopher 2X, a community activist who is assisting Palmer and who stood outside the room when Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced the decision.

Athletes including LeBron James, Danny Green, Megan Rapinoe and Kayla McBride expressed their disappointment with the grand jury's decision.

Jarrett Hill, a politics and pop culture journalist, told CNN that the indictment only confirmed that "the system is not working for us."

"I think the message to the people across this country is we don't care about you, especially if you are Black, and even more if you are women," he said. 

The protests: Protesters marched today in several US cities including New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Louisville, Nashville, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Philadelphia.

In some cities, the protests have escalated into clashes with law enforcement; two officers were shot in Louisville, and police fired tear gas at protesters in Atlanta.

Portland Police declared a riot after protestors threw molotov cocktails, rocks, broke windows and lit fires, according to a press release from the police department.

Political reaction: Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden tweeted that violence should not be the answer "even amidst the profound grief & anger today's decision."

His running mate Kamala Harris called for reforms to the justice system in a tweet. "We must never stop speaking Breonna’s name as we work to reform our justice system, including overhauling no-knock warrants,” she wrote.

Charles Ramsey, the former Philadelphia police commissioner and former Washington DC, police chief, told CNN that he agreed with the grand jury's decision.

"I do believe the one officer should have been charged -- what he did was reckless and certainly criminal. The other two officers, however, that were actually making entry into the apartment, I agree they should not have been charged criminally," Ramsey told CNN.

The Seattle Police Department has released imagery and information on arrests made Wednesday night. Seattle Police

The Seattle Police Department has just released information on the number of arrests made during last night's protests in the city. 

“In total, officers arrested 13 individuals for charges ranging from property destruction, resisting arrest and failure to disperse as well as assault on an officer,” the department said in a news release. 

Multiple officers sustained injuries, it added, including “one who was struck in the head with a baseball bat cracking his helmet.”

The police also acknowledged there is footage circulating of an officer’s bike rolling over the head of a person in the street. 

“In addition to this, the Seattle Police Department is aware of a video circulating on the internet that apparently shows an SPD bike officer’s bike rolling over the head of an individual laying in the street. This matter will be referred to the Office of Professional Accountability for further investigation.”

The Seattle Police have made additional arrests early this morning as protesters continue their violence against authorities, according to the police department.  

“Protestors continue to throw rocks, bottles, and even a fire extinguisher at officers. Additional arrests have been made,” police continued in a post on Twitter

Former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey speaks at an event at Parkway Northwest High School for Peace and Social Justice, in Philadelphia, Pennysylvania, on February 28, 2020. Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Charles Ramsey, the former Philadelphia police commissioner and former Washington, DC, police chief, told CNN earlier tonight that he agreed with the grand jury's decision not to charge a single officer with killing Breonna Taylor.

Only one of the officers involved in her death was indicted, on the charge of first-degree wanton endangerment.

"I do believe the one officer should have been charged -- what he did was reckless and certainly criminal. The other two officers, however, that were actually making entry into the apartment, I agree they should not have been charged criminally," Ramsey told CNN.

Ramsey said that although Taylor's death was "unfortunate" and "tragic," the other officers had been "justified in returning fire" because Taylor's boyfriend had fired the first shot when the police entered her apartment using a no-knock warrant.

What happened that night: Taylor was sleeping next to her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker III, in the early hours of March 13, when they heard a noise. They both got up and walked to the door.

Police forced entry into the home, and Walker said he couldn't see but he fired one shot. After entering, an officer was shot in the leg, Attorney General Daniel Cameron said earlier today.

Collectively, the three officers at the scene fired more than 30 rounds.

Jarrett Hill attends the Black Women in Entertainment Celebration reception in Los Angeles, on February 27, 2019. Todd Williamson/January Images/Shutterstock

Jarrett Hill, a politics and pop culture journalist, told CNN earlier tonight that the indictment in Breonna Taylor's case only confirmed that "the system is not working for us."

"I think the message to the people across this country is we don't care about you, especially if you are black, and even more if you are women," he said. 

"All of those things combined, put together with this moment of how frustrated we are about the ways Breonna Taylor was treated by the Louisville police, I think it really creates a perfect storm of a lot of things."

Portland Police declare a riot due to protesters in Porland, Oregon, on September 24. KPTV

It's nearing midnight in Portland, Oregon, but protesters are still active on the streets, even as police urge them to disperse.

The police earlier said those associated with the gathering were part of an unlawful assembly.  

Protesters clashed with police in Seattle, Washington, on September 23. KIRO

Protesters in Seattle, Washington, have started clashing with law enforcement, according to the Seattle Police Department. 

Police added that they had fired pepper spray after protesters cut security cameras at the East Precinct.

Eight people have been arrested so far, police said.

The FBI Louisville office is asking for the public’s help for information on those who were involved in the shooting of two police officers in Louisville, Kentucky tonight during the protests.

Protesters march in downtown Los Angeles during a demonstration held to demand justice for the death of Breonna Taylor after the results of a grand jury indictment of former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison in Los Angeles, California, on 23 September. Kyle Grillot/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

It's just past 11:30 p.m. PT on the West Coast, but crowds of protesters are still marching after today's news of the indictment in the Breonna Taylor case.

Protesters are marching in downtown Los Angeles, California, where some demonstrators blocked a police vehicle earlier tonight.

Protesters are also on the streets of Portland, Oregon, where they have gathered near the Justice Center.

People marched in cities across the United States Wednesday, including New York, Philadelphia, Louisville, and Nashville.