Innocent until proven guilty

I write this as an alum and as a trial lawyer. The front page article (Record 9-18-20) anounced scholarships in the names of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. The first line stated: “Following the tragic and unjustified murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many other BIPOC…”

On Sept. 23 (after the author jumped to conclusions in her 9-18 news article) the Attorney General of Kentucky, a Black man, held a press conference (find it on Youtube and educate yourself) explaining the decision of the grand jury. The policemen entered Taylor’s apartment after a legal knocking and calling out at the door. The police had a mistaken address. It was her boyfriend who jumped out of bed and began shooting his pistol first at the police, who were justified to defend themselves by firing back. Five bullets hit Taylor–only one was fatal. No bullets hit her uninjured boyfriend. There will be no murder charges against the police. A homicide occurred, not a murder. A murder is an intentional killing with malice. Everyone makes mistakes.

All Americans, police included, are innocent until proven guilty. For The Record article author to brand the police as “unjustified murderers” before the grand jury findings is legally defamation libel of their reputations. Why is it that all police today who shoot BIPOC are condemned, and the criminals, looters, arsonists, rioters and drug dealers are canonized? Remember — the store called the police on George Floyd because he passed a counterfeit $20 bill which is a felony and his blood system was filled with meth. These two names are not deserving of CSB/SJU scholarships.