Jennifer Lawrence joins Twitter in support of Breonna Taylor

The outcry over the tragic and senseless killing of 26-year-old EMT Breonna Taylor has sparked protests across the US and already resulted in a major law change. But as months pass and no charges have been laid in response to the officers involved in Taylor’s murder, outrage is mounting and prompting thousands to speak out, including Louisville native Jennifer Lawrence. The Oscar-winner and notoriously private celebrity broke her social media silence this week when she joined twitter to speak out against Taylor’s murder.On June 16, Lawrence debuted her new twitter handle @JLawrence_RepUs in connection with the advocacy group Represent Us—an organization that crosses political party lines to bring together conservatives and progressives to pass anticorruption laws. Lawrence’s first tweet included an eight-minute video titled "Unbreaking America: Justice For Sale." Starring fellow Represent Us Cultural Council member Omar Epps and board member Desmond Meade, the film touches on several important topics concerning the American justice system, which the film argues is designed by lobbyists and politicians to incarcerate Black people and people of color at a disproportionately higher rate than white people, acting as a continuation of slavery.

Nearly 1 in 4 Black men in America will be locked up at some point in their life. In this short video, @omarepps & @desmondmeade explain how corruption has broken our criminal justice system—& what we can do to fix it. #UnbreakingAmerica #JusticeForSale https://t.co/nBgujzH2BH pic.twitter.com/Jhw4Jtav5L

— Jennifer Lawrence - Represent.Us (@JLawrence_RepUs) June 16, 2020

The next day, Lawrence followed up her first tweet with a message calling for legal action against the officers involved in Taylor's shooting. "As a Louisvillian, as a human being, I cannot be silent,” wrote Lawrence. "I join all those who are speaking out against this grave injustice, calling upon Attorney General Daniel Cameron to take immediate action to hold those responsible for her death accountable."Speaking directly to the Kentucky AG, Lawrence called out the three police officers who fired 20 shots into Taylor’s apartment by name. "Mr. Cameron, the longer you wait to bring criminal charges against officers Jonathan Mattingly, Myles Cosgrove, and Brett Hankison, the more trust erodes," wrote Lawrence. "I urge you to commit to transparency in the investigation and prosecution of these officers, and address the LMPD's insufficient response to Breonna Taylor's murder.”The actor ended her tweet with a call to action: "We must not allow the erasure of Black women to continue in America. As many activists and leaders have been imploring for years: #SayHerName."

#SayHerName #BreonnaTaylor pic.twitter.com/EGSjIpMaXc

— Jennifer Lawrence - Represent.Us (@JLawrence_RepUs) June 17, 2020

On March 13, three officers arrived at Taylor’s Louisville apartment in an attempted drug sting (no drugs were found in the home) which she shared with boyfriend Kenneth Walker. According to Walker and neighbours, the officers did not announce themselves before using a battering ram to break down the door. Believing the police to be intruders, Walker fired his registered firearm, hitting one of the officers in the leg as the police returned fire. The officers fired 20 shots into the apartment, hitting Taylor eight times.Walker was charged with first-degree assault and attempted murder of a police officer, but those charges were subsequently dropped. The three police officers involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave and it was announced June 19 that one officer involved will be fired. On June 11, the incident report on Taylor’s death was released revealing the document to be nearly completely blank, listing Taylor’s injuries as "none" and claiming no force of entry had been used.[video_embed id='1977910']RELATED: Stars demand justice for Rayshard Brooks, killed by police in fast food parking lot [/video_embed]One day prior to that, after pressure from the public, the Louisville city Council passed "Breonna’s Law," which bans "no knock" search warrants such as the one being served in Breonna's case and requires officers to have their body cameras on at least five minutes before executing a search warrant and at least five minutes after the warrant has been served.Taylor’s death has received international attention, sparking (along with George Floyd's killing) ongoing Black Lives Matter protests. Many celebrities in addition to Lawrence have voiced their outrage over the killing of the promising EMT and the fact charges still haven't been laid against the three officers involved. Solange, Megan Thee Stallion, Idris Elba, John Legend, Janet Jackson, Demi Lovato, Alicia Keys, Janelle Monae and Gabrielle Union have all spoken out on social media in support of Taylor.Beyoncé has written her own letter addressing AG Cameron, posting a copy on her website. “Three months have passed—and Breonna Taylor’s family still waits for justice,” wrote Beyoncé. “Ms. Taylor’s family has not been able to take time to process and grieve. Instead, they have been working tirelessly to rally the support of friends, their community, and the country to obtain justice for Breonna. Your office has both the power and the responsibility to bring justice to Breonna Taylor, and demonstrate the value of a Black woman’s life.”[video_embed id='1977626']RELATED: Beyoncé pens powerful letter demanding justice for Breonna Taylor [/video_embed]