SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) - Bay Area families who have had their own loved ones killed at the hands of law enforcement, called today's frustrating, but not shocking.
These families know all too well the pain Breonna Taylor's family is dealing with.
Having their loved ones shot and killed by police, but no one being held accountable in the deaths.
They say today's decision is not justice for Taylor and is part of a system that continues to target, and rob Americans of their rights.
It's a tight knit family, where the members have been forced together through tragedy.
Each of them has lost a loved one at the hands of law enforcement and now, the news that the officers who killed Breonna Taylor won't be charged in her death is causing them to reopen, and relieve their own personal wounds.
"Attention has been brought to her killing. It's very much disturbing. I hope people open their eyes and see how widespread the problem really is," Marissa Barrera said.
Through a virtual call Wednesday, they tried to console, and heal one another from the news.
That they say is disappointing, but not shocking. Cat Brooks, with the anti-terror police project, says Taylor's death is a sign that more needs to be done to protect Black women from police who are also killed by police in staggering numbers.
"Since the year 2015, black women make up just 13 percent of the female population we've accounted for 20 percent of the women shot and killed by police and 28 percent of unarmed deaths in this country," Brooks said.
The uncle of Oscar Grant was among those on the call.
The officer who killed Grant, Johanes Mesherle, was the last officer convicted of a deadly shooting here in the Bay Area.
He says that's the problem.
"We don't look at Breona's incident as an isolated situation. Most of us here in Oakland, sadly knew what the outcome was going to be. The officers weren't going to get charged. Numbers tell us the truth. As an example since Oscar's murder, over 1300 bodies have been killed in the state of California by police, and not a single officer has been convicted except Johanes Mehserle," Uncle Bobby said.
Others say, protests may not be enough to effect change, they may have to pack the polls, to get their messages across.
"What's going to need to happen is that we're going to have to actually push out some of the fools who are blocking it at the state capital, they're just not doing their jobs," George Galvis said.
Earlier this month, San Leandro officer Jason Fletcher was charged with manslaughter in the April shooting death of Steven Taylor.
Fletcher is the first officer here in the Bay Area to be charged in connection to deadly shooting, since Mesherle.
A protest is set for Thursday morning at 11 a.m. in Oakland.
It will be held at the Breonna Taylor mural located at 15th and Broadway.
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