LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Felony charges have been dropped against Kentucky state Rep. Attica Scott and 17 other protesters arrested after police said someone threw a flare into the Louisville Free Public Library's main branch Sept. 24.
Scott and other protesters, including her 19-year-old daughter Ashanti, were steps away from First Unitarian Church — a place offering sanctuary for protesters after curfew — when they were arrested. They were marching with a group of protesters calling for justice in the Breonna Taylor case one day after the grand jury's decision was announced.
They faced felony rioting charges for the damage, however video posted to Scott's Instagram showed she was on the opposite side of the building. The representative called the charges "bogus," talking about her work to fully fund Louisville's libraries.
"The absurdity of trying to claim that I would burn down the library in district 41 that Black people so desperately need is something that we all need to fight against," Scott said.
Fellow legislators and advocates spoke out against the charges. Rep. Lisa Willner announced "Attica's Law," a bill request to change the rioting law.
Gov. Andy Beshear said the news of her felony arrest was "hard to believe."
“I think everybody was shocked to even hear about it. She is a fierce advocate for her district," Beshear said. "It is hard to believe. I have not seen any of the information about it, but I hope people take a very careful look."
Jefferson County Attorney Mike O'Connell said there was no evidence to show Scott and the other protesters were guilty of the felonies.
"The county attorney's statement seemed to say he was dismissing the charges only because he couldn't prove them – not because it was the right thing to do or because he thought the arrests were somehow improper," attorney Ted Shouse said who is representing Scott.
Cheers erupted from a crowd of supporters who stood outside the courthouse throughout the afternoon Tuesday.
Scott was arraigned in court alongside her daughter and Shamkea Parrish-Wright who is the operations manager of the Louisville Bail Project.
"We want justice for Breonna Taylor," Parrish-Wright said. "That's why we were out in those streets and that's why we will continue to be in those streets."
The county attorney will pursue two misdemeanors against Scott and other protesters: unlawful assembly and failure to disperse. Her attorney pleaded not guilty to the charges Tuesday.
"As my daughter Ashanti who was arrested with us often says we do not move in fear so these charges will not stop us; it will not stop the revolution," Scott said.
The next court hearing is scheduled for November 16.
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