WATCH: On Breonna Taylor, Harris says justice wasn't served. Pence says he trusts the justice s

California Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence weighed in on the national debate over race and police brutality when addressing a question about Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician who was shot and killed by police in Louisville, Kentucky in March.

Harris said that a grand jury's decision not to indict two of three officers involved in her killing did not deliver justice for Taylor. The jury indicted one officer for allegedly shooting through Taylor's home into a neighbor's apartment. Taylor's "life was taken unjustifiably and tragically and violently," Harris said. The Democratic vice presidential nominee then called for the need for police reforms such as banning use of chokeholds and establishing a national registry for police misconduct.

In response, Pence said, "Our heart breaks for the loss of any innocent American life, and the family of Breonna Taylor has our sympathies. But I trust our justice system, a grand jury that reviews the evidence." Pence went on to condemn instances of violence that have occurred amid largely peaceful protests that have continued throughout the country, but were sparked by the killing of George Floyd in May.

Pence and Harris met face-to-face for their first debate hosted by the University of Utah in Salt Lake City with less than a month until voting concludes.

Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG
Find more from PBS NewsHour at https://www.pbs.org/newshour
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6

Follow us:
Facebook: http://www.pbs.org/newshour
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/newshour
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/newshour
Snapchat: @pbsnews