NFL wide receiver among 87 arrested at Breonna Taylor protest in Louisville
Houston Texans wide receiver Kenny Stills was among 87 protesters arrested Tuesday in Louisville, Kentucky, for protesting the death of Breonna Taylor, according to news reports.
Stills, who was participating in a march to the home of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, faces a felony charge, according to multiple outlets.
Stills was also charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and criminal trespass, ESPN reported.
Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, died March 13 after police in Louisville executed a “no-knock” warrant at her apartment during a narcotics investigation, shooting her at least eight times.
As three officers forced their way into Taylor’s apartment, her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, shot and wounded Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, who along with detectives Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankison fired more than 20 rounds, according to The New York Times. Hankison has been fired; Mattingly and Cosgrove remain on the force.
The Louisville Courier-Journal said that all 87 protesters face charges similar to Stills’ “due to their refusal to leave the property and their attempts to influence the decision of the Attorney General with their actions.”
Louisville Metro Police spokesman Lamont Washington also told the Courier-Journal that protesters were given the opportunity to leave before being arrested.
Stills has been among the NFL’s most outspoken players seeking social change, WLKY reported.
Stills was traded to Houston in 2019 from the Miami Dolphins. He caught three passes for 80 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown, during a 51-31 divisional-round loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs last season.
This story was originally published July 15, 2020 at 12:26 PM with the headline "NFL wide receiver among 87 arrested at Breonna Taylor protest in Louisville."