Oakland, United States

Weeks after the fatal shooting of a 26-year-old emergency room technician, a sculptor from Oakland was able to finally install a statue of Breonna Taylor. However, within a few weeks, the sculpture of the Black woman has now been smashed from different angles.

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A statue was erected in memory of the Black woman who was shot in her own bed by local police officers. However, the statue has now been smashed and the local police are investigating it as an act of vandalism.

Also read| Policeman involved in Breonna Taylor's shooting says it was 'not about race'

Saddened by the act, the sculptor, Leo Carson, described the incident as "an act of racist aggression aimed at suppressing the fight for black freedom". 

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The ceramic statue took weeks to be completed. In memory of Taylor, Carson gave the statue a dark brown satin glaze and shaped the clay from his own hands. The artist claims to have spent nearly $600 in making the statue. 

Also read|  Breonna Taylor grand jury audio reveals conflicting accounts of fatal raid

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Established on the plaza on December 12, the artist claims he was expecting backlash fo the statue but was still hoping he could be proven wrong. "It was always in the back of my mind," he said. "I just had a feeling like I had to do it anyway. It didn’t matter."

The Oakland Mayor, Libby Schaff, took to Twitter to condemn this act of vandalism. "It’s a vicious attack against the light + justice sought in Breonna Taylor’s name. We will keep moving forward; Oakland will not tolerate acts of hatred," she tweeted.

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Local police department has started investigating the matter but has not found any leads yet.

Breonna Taylor was a 26-year-old emergency room technician who was with her boyfriend at her home when the police barged into her home claiming to execute a late-night 'no-knock' raid. Taylor's boyfriend mistook the police officers to be intruders and pointed a gun at them, after which the police opened fire which resulted in Taylor's death.