NFL player facing felony charge after arrest at Breonna Taylor protest in Louisville

by 24USATVJuly 16, 2020, 3 a.m. 49
-

Kenny Stills, a wide receiver for the NFL's Houston Texans, is among the 87 protesters facing felony charges after being arrested Tuesday at a protest in Louisville.

Stills, 28, was entered into the jail's booking log just before midnight after having been taken into custody earlier in the afternoon, as he and dozens of other protesters marched to the home of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron to demand action against the police officers who shot and killed Breonna Taylor in March.

Stills was charged with intimidating a participant in the legal process, a felony, as well as misdemeanor disorderly conduct and criminal trespass. He was released Wednesday morning.

Stills' arrest citation said he was on private property with no lawful purpose and refused to leave. The property owner is the lead prosecutor in an ongoing criminal investigation, the citation said, and Stills "was on (the) property to intimidate (the) prosecutor."

A request for comment from Athletes First, the sports agency that represents Stills, was not returned. But Ryan Williams, who represents Stills, pointed out on Twitter that Stills was arrested as he stood on a lawn and "asked for justice," while the officers involved in Taylor's shooting were not arrested following her death.

"(Stills) has officially spent more time in jail fighting for justice than the known killers who killed Breonna Taylor," Williams wrote.

Stills, meanwhile, called the incident "good trouble" in a Twitter post Wednesday afternoon, after he had been released earlier that morning. Records show he's due back in court on Oct. 8.

"Arrested for peacefully protesting. While Breonnas Taylor’s murderers are still out on the street," Stills wrote.

Stills' charges mirror those that 86 other protesters who were arrested Tuesday are facing. More than 100 marched from Ballard High School in Louisville's East End to the home of Cameron, who protesters have long demanded charge the three Louisville Metro Police officers involved in Taylor's killing.

More on Tuesday's arrests:Celebrities, rappers, civil rights leaders: Who was arrested at Daniel Cameron's house for protesting

Those protesters stood and chanted on Cameron's lawn, and "at (Cameron's) request, they were trespassed from the property," LMPD spokesman Lamont Washington said in a statement Tuesday evening. All were given the opportunity to leave before being arrested, Washington added.

Washington said the charges against the protesters came "due to their refusal to leave the property and their attempts to influence the decision of the Attorney General with their actions."

Taylor was shot and killed by Louisville police serving a no-knock warrant in March. No drugs were found at the Black ER technician's home. One of the officers involved, Brett Hankison, has been fired, while two others, Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove, remain on the force.

More coverage:What to know about Daniel Cameron, Kentucky's attorney general

Protesters have pushed Cameron to charge the officers and have put pressure on others in the region, including Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, to take further action. Cameron told reporters on Tuesday that his investigators have received all requested information from LMPD, but he has no timetable for when his probe into the case will end.

Stills has been outspoken about social issues in the past. A longtime supporter of Colin Kaepernick, Stills has knelt during the national anthem before NFL games several times since 2016 and criticized team owner Stephen Ross during his time with the Miami Dolphins for Ross' support of President Donald Trump's reelection campaign.

Tuesday's march through Louisville was organized by Until Freedom, a national social justice organization. Many of those arrested were wearing Until Freedom T-shirts — the shirt Stills wore in his booking photo contains a message against the officer's involved in Taylor's shooting.

A former star at the University of Oklahoma, Stills has played for the New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans during his time in the NFL and is entering his eighth professional season.

Lucas Aulbach can be reached at [email protected], 502-582-4649 or on Twitter @LucasAulbach. Support strong local journalism and subscribe: www.courier-journal.com/lucasa.

-

Related Articles

HOT TRENDS

2024 Opening Day Chat

by 24USATVMarch 29, 2024, 6 a.m.2
HOT TRENDS

Tigers 1, White Sox 0: Crochet weaves, but Skubal shoves

by 24USATVMarch 29, 2024, 6 a.m.2
HOT TRENDS

Good Friday’s Answers to Wounded Church Members

by 24USATVMarch 29, 2024, midnight2
HOT TRENDS

Red Sox set Opening Day lineup for 2024 season

by 24USATVMarch 29, 2024, midnight2
HOT TRENDS

Sam Bankman-Fried’s Dream Came True

by 24USATVMarch 29, 2024, midnight2
HOT TRENDS

MLB Opening Day: Boston Red Sox against Seattle Mariners

by 24USATVMarch 28, 2024, 11 p.m.2