Why Leslie Smith wore a Breonna Taylor shirt after her Bellator 245 win

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Leslie Smith has taken a stand against police brutality and systemic racism.

Following her win over Amanda Bell at Bellator 245 this past Friday, Smith expressed concern over the recent deaths Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, both whom died at the hands of police earlier this year.

Taylor, a Black woman, was killed by police officers in Louisville who reportedly were executing a so-called no-knock search warrant at her home. Police were investigating a suspected drug dealer, and Taylor’s home was part of a search warrant because of her past relationship with the suspect. When Taylor’s boyfriend reportedly opened fire on police after they used a battering ram to enter the house, the three officers fired back and killed Taylor in the process. None of the three officers have been charged in the March shooting.

Floyd, black man in Minneapolis, died after an officer kneeled on his neck and back for nearly nine minutes, despite video showing him requesting to be let up because he couldn’t breathe. The four officers involved were eventually arrested and charged. Floyd’s May death has been the catalyst for months of protests against police brutality and systemic racism in the United States.

Smith (12-8-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) sported a t-shirt that read “Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor” after her win over Bell.

In the post-fight news conference for the event, which fell on the 19-year anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S., Smith took the opportunity to recognize 9/11 victims, the deaths of Taylor and Floyd, and how changes need to be made.

“Today is 9/11. It’s a very traumatic day in American history, and I think that we still do owe a debt of gratitude to all the public servants who came in and helped everybody and a lot of sorrow still for the people whose lives were lost, and for the people who were deeply affected by that. And I feel like we owe everybody who sacrificed themselves to save other Americans, to create the best America that we possibly can that was willing to serve and protect all of its citizens.

“Black lives matter, and with police brutality, excessive use of force, and the deaths – it’s just really, really disturbing, and it’s not something that I want to be part of and it’s something that we all need to recognize, the systemic racism within the institutions in America, and that we need to stand up and change. Breonna Taylor was an innocent woman who was killed, and it’s great that there’s ‘Breonna’s Law’ to prevent these no-knock raids, but that’s not enough. The people who killed her need to be held accountable because until her killers are held accountable, then other people are going to think they can get away with it without being held accountable.”