Deadline reports that writer-director-producer and Hollywood mogul Tyler Perry donated $100,000 last weekend to the legal defense fund of Kenneth Walker, the boyfriend of Breonna Taylor, a young ER technician tragically shot and killed in her own home by Louisville Metro Police officers issuing a no-knock warrant in March of this year. Her death sparked global outrage and further pushed the conversation of police brutality, criminal justice, and social justice back into the spotlight.
One of the officers involved, Jonathan Mattingly, who was shot in the leg during the raid, sued Walker for emotional distress, assault, and battery in October. As a result, a GoFundMe page was created in November to aid Walker in his fight against the suit. Per the page:
It was Kenneth who endured a home invasion by armed plainclothes intruders. It was Kenneth who watched his girlfriend die before his eyes. It was Kenneth who was intimidated and jailed. It was Kenneth who was charged for attempted murder. It was Kenneth who watched the men who killed his girlfriend escape any charges related to her death, much less convictions.
It’s outrageous for one of the men partially responsible for all that, to sue the man who endured it. The raid that killed Breonna Taylor was poorly conceived, nightmarishly executed, and hastily covered-up. The subsequent grand jury proceedings were farcical and staged. Daniel Cameron’s statements were disingenuous, at best. Jon Mattingly’s lawsuit is the nearly-unbelievable next step in this ongoing mockery of justice.
With the addition of Perry’s recent donations, they’ve surpassed their $100K goal, with donations continuing to pour in. Perry has a noted history of philanthropic efforts, recently serving 5,000 families with non-perishable food items and gift cards over the Thanksgiving holiday. Before that, he also paid for the funerals of Rayshard Brooks and 8-year-old Secoriea Turner this past summer.