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Twitter Responds To Christian Taylor's Death
Another unarmed, young black man was fatally shot by police officers this week, just days before the one-year anniversary of the death of Ferguson, Missouri, teenager Michael Brown. Christian Taylor, a 19-year-old college football player, was shot and killed by police officer-in-training Brad Miller early Friday morning after an alleged altercation occurred at a car dealership in Arlington, Texas. The Arlington Police Department has opened an administrative and criminal investigation into the shooting death, and Miller, who is white, has been placed on administrative leave, authorities said.
Taylor's shooting death comes just weeks after Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old Illinois native, was found dead in her cell in Waller County, Texas, three days after she was arrested during a routine traffic stop. Bland's death was ruled a suicide, but her family — and the nation — are still looking for answers. Taylor's family, too, will certainly have questions of their own. At least one family member has already expressed that the situation, in his mind, doesn't add up.
Now, Taylor's untimely death, coming at the hands of a police officer, rocks a state still reeling from tragedy. Black Americans, including the world's reigning Wimbledon champion, took to Twitter over the weekend to ask the question that seemingly has no answer: When will it end?
Serena Williams wasn't the only American athlete to Taylor's death. San Francisco 49ers player Eric Reid also tweeted his frustrations Friday evening.
Selma director Ava DuVernay, who has been a vocal presence in the Black Lives Matter movement, highlighted this prophetic tweet from Taylor:
Here's how Twitter responded to the police-involved death of Christian Taylor, from calling out media outlets for using disingenuous images of Taylor to asking the tough questions about policing and institutional racism in America:
