Breonna Taylor (June 5, 1993 – March 13, 2020) was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her parents were Tamika Palmer and Troy Herrod. She graduated from Western High School and went on to study at the University of Kentucky. She was an emergency medical technician and worked at two hospitals, University of Louisville Jewish Hospital and Norton Healthcare. At the time of her death, she was working for University of Louisville Health. She was laid to rest on March 21, 2020

Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old African American woman, was fatally shot by Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officers. Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly, Detective Brett Hankison, and Detective Myles Cosgrove entered her apartment in plainclothes in Louisville, Kentucky, while serving a "no-knock warrant". Gunfire was exchanged between Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, and LMPD officers who entered the apartment. Taylor was shot eight timesand Mattingly was injured by gunfire. No drugs were found in the apartment.