Protesters gather overnight in uptown Charlotte in response to Breonna Taylor case

Charlotte was among the cities nationwide that saw protests overnight in response to a grand jury decision in Kentucky not to charge Louisville police officers in the death of Breonna Taylor.

No injuries or arrests were reported by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police.

The protests began around 8 p.m. in Charlotte when dozens of demonstrators gathered at Charlotte’s First Ward Park.

Later in the evening, some marchers began blocking streets, including the key intersection of South Tryon and East Trade streets, according to the Observer’s news partner WBTV. About 50 people gathered at the intersection and some “tense moments” occurred between marchers and a CMPD officer, the station reported.

The intersection of 4th and College streets was also blocked by protesters over night, police said in a tweet.

Charlotte City Council member Braxton Winston, who has frequently joined protesters, was among those responding on social media to the CMPD tweets, asking: “Please just fall back.”

CMPD said it continued monitoring a small group of 25 demonstrators early Thursday as they returned to First Ward Park.

“No assaults, no injuries and no arrests tonight,” CMPD said in a tweet.

The Associated Press reports two Louisville, Kentucky, police officers were shot and wounded Wednesday night as demonstrators took to the streets after a grand jury announced there would be no charges against officers in the death of Breonna Taylor. Both officers are expected to recover and a suspect is in custody, AP reports.

Taylor, a Black woman, “was shot multiple times by white officers who entered her home during a narcotics investigation,” AP reports. The grand jury said the officers “were justified in using force to protect themselves after they faced gunfire from her boyfriend,” AP says.

One of the officers faces three counts of wanton endangerment due to “shooting into a home next to Taylor’s with people inside,” AP says.

This story was originally published September 24, 2020 at 6:14 AM.