A Texas mother of four who was injured while protecting her sons during the Thursday, July 7, shooting in Dallas, thanked the heroic police officers who helped her and her family get to safety amid the chaos.
Shetamia Taylor broke down in tears during a press conference on Sunday, July 10, as she recounted Thursday night’s ambush of police at a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest march, which resulted in the death of five officers.
“[The protest] was very nice. It was very peaceful. It was very informative,” Taylor, 37, who attended the march with her four sons — ages 12, 13, 15 and 17 — said on Sunday. “The kids had a good time. My 12-year-old was like, ‘Oh, I’m making history. I get to march!’”
The Texas mom then recalled hearing two gunshots and seeing an officer fall to the ground. “He said, ‘He has a gun, run,’” she explained.
“I felt the bullet in the back of my leg, and my son Andrew had turned around to grab me … but I had already been shot, so I grabbed him,” Taylor said. After a police officer asked surrounding protesters if anybody was hit by the bullet, Andrew said no, unaware that his mom was shot.
“I was saying yes, but not loud enough because I didn’t want my son to hear me,” the mother continued. After the officer noticed, he got on top of Taylor to protect her and Andrew. “And there was another [officer] at our feet. And there was another one over our heads. And there were several of them lined against a wall,” she recounted. “And they stayed there with us. And I saw another officer get shot right in front of me.”
According to the Associated Press, Taylor suffered a fracture of her tibia below her right knee. Doctors repaired it with a plate and screws, but said she can’t put weight on her leg for another two to three months.
Despite her injury, she says she’s “so thankful” and she “never stopped praying” for her boys’ safety.
“Thank you for being heroes,” she told police at Sunday’s press conference, adding, “These are the people you call when you’re in a situation. You gotta remember that. What are we gonna do if they stop policing? What are we gonna do?”
