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Breonna Taylor

Police Chief Announces Retirement As FBI Opens Investigation Into ... Louisville Courier JournalPlayPauseSound OnSound Off0:000:43ADSKIPOpen ShareEnter Full ScreenExit Full ScreenLOUISVILLE, Ky. — The fatal police shooting of 26-year-old ER technician Breonna Taylor has sparked in the two months since she died.

Police were executing a search warrant at Taylor's southwest Louisville apartment as part of a narcotics investigation just before 1 a.m. on March 13. Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, said he did not hear officers announce themselves and fired a single shot, striking Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly in the femoral artery.

In turn, Mattingly and detectives Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankison shot more than 20 rounds, striking Taylor at least eight times. She died in the hallway of her apartment.

Since then, activists, community leaders and state and federal lawmakers have all called for independent investigations into Taylor's death.

Here's what we know about the ongoing investigations so far:

Police's internal investigation sent to attorney general As is the case with all officer-involved shootings, the Louisville Metro Police Department's Public Integrity Unit launched an investigation into Taylor's death in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

LMPD officials have said little about the case or the three officers involved — who have since been placed on administrative reassignment — citing an ongoing investigation.

But on May 20, Mayor Greg Fischer announced the to the office of Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

More:

'Stop killing black people':

Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney Tom Wine announced he would recuse himself from the review into the conduct of the officers, citing a conflict of interest because he was, at the time, pursuing charges against Walker. Wine has since dismissed those charges, citing the need for further investigation.

Cameron's office or a special prosecutor he appoints ultimately will decide if any criminal charges should be brought against the three officers.

Cameron's office issued a statement, saying, "The Office of the Attorney General has been asked to serve as special prosecutor in the matter involving the death of Breonna Taylor. At the conclusion of the investigation, the office will review the evidence and take appropriate action."

Fischer also announced that LMPD's investigation was provided to the U.S. Attorney and the FBI Louisville field office for review.

FBI investigation into shooting The day after Fischer announced that LMPD's investigation was turned over to Cameron, the FBI Louisville field office announced it was launching its own independent investigation into Taylor's death.

"The FBI will collect all available facts and evidence and will ensure that the investigation is conducted in a fair, thorough and impartial manner," the FBI Louisville Field Office said in a statement. "As this is an ongoing investigation, we are not able to comment further at this time."

Also:

The FBI's actions go beyond what Fischer had proposed when he agreed to turn over the findings of the Public Integrity Unit to state and federal officials for review.

The Interdenominational Ministerial Coalition, a group of local ministers, was among the first groups in Louisville to call for an independent investigation into Taylor's death, led by law enforcement and prosecutors from outside of Louisville.

Kamala Harris, Lucy McBath call for federal DOJ investigation Sen. Kamala Harris of California and Rep. Lucy McBath of Georgia, both Democrats, and of any "pattern or practice of constitutional violations at the Louisville Police Department."

“Ms. Taylor was a young woman with plans for a long, fruitful life,” they wrote to Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband, who oversees the civil rights division. “Instead, her life was brutally cut short by a haphazard law enforcement exercise. Ms. Taylor worked to save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic; it is time for the U.S. Department of Justice to honor hers.”

Citing reporting from The Courier Journal and WDRB, Harris and McBath outlined what they say are “troubling parallels” between the raid on Taylor’s home and that of another black family in October 2018.

Harris and McBath write that because of “troubling parallels” between the cases, the Justice Department ought to conduct an independent investigation into whether LMPD “has engaged in a pattern or practice of constitutional violations.”

A news release noted the lawmakers' letter is supported by the American Civil Liberties Union, Drug Policy Alliance and The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

It was additionally signed by: Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; Cory Booker, D-N.J.; Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio; Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.; Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Edward Markey, D-Mass.; Patty Murray, D-Wash.; Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont; Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

It is also signed by more than 25 members of the U.S. House, all Democrats.

No members of Kentucky's federal delegation signed on to the letter.

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Updated 2128 GMT (0528 HKT) May 21, 2020

Breonna Taylor, 26, was killed during a police raid of her Kentucky apartment. Now, the Louisville Metro Police Department will change its policy to require body cameras and change search warrant sign-offs. [//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200512170612-01-louisville-emt-police-killed-large-169.jpg] Breonna Taylor, 26, was killed during a police raid of her Kentucky apartment. Now, the Louisville Metro Police Department will change its policy to require body cameras and change search warrant sign-offs. (CNN)The FBI has opened an investigation into the , an EMT who was killed after officers forced their way inside her home.

Robert Brown, special agent in charge for the FBI Louisville, issued a statement Thursday that said in part, "The FBI will collect all available facts and evidence and will ensure that the investigation is conducted in a fair, thorough and impartial manner."As this is an ongoing investigation, Brown said they aren't able to comment further. The news follows the Louisville Metro Police Department announcing that it would require all sworn officers to and change how the department carries out search warrants. They're the first steps toward , Mayor Greg Fischer said at a news conference, in which he repeatedly referred to Taylor's death as a "tragedy." In March, Taylor was shot at least eight times when three officers forcibly entered her apartment to serve a search warrant in a narcotics investigation. The department said the men announced themselves and returned gunfire when Taylor's boyfriend fired at them. Read MoreBut in a wrongful death lawsuit, Taylor's mother says the officers didn't knock at all and should have called off their search because the suspect they sought had already been arrested. Officers didn't find drugs in her apartment when they entered, Taylor's mother said in the lawsuit. Stricter no-knock warrants and required body cameras Going forward, "no-knock warrants," which allow police to enter a residence without announcing themselves or their purpose, must be signed off on by a judge and the police chief or his designee before police can serve them, Fischer said at a news conference Monday. Previously, the warrant required only a judge's sign-off.None of the three officers who entered Taylor's apartment wore body cameras, the department said, since they were plainclothes narcotics officers. Now, the department will require all sworn officers to wear body cameras while they serve warrants and in other situations in which they identify themselves as police officers, Fischer announced. "This is an important moment in the history and evolution of our city," the mayor said. "At metro government, we're going to do everything we can to channel the pain and anger of this moment into dialogue, into work that will eventually help us heal and over time make us a stronger, safer and more connected community."Community leaders seek action Fischer was joined remotely by black city council members and local pastors. Some of them will join a community task force to conduct a civilian review of police disciplinary matters, he said. Council member Jessica Green said she expects to see immediate action and policy change from Taylor's death, including improved relations between black Louisville residents and police and that "black people will stop being gunned down.""As an African American, black folks are tired of talking, tired of meeting," Green said during the conference. "I can't take another meeting where there's not actually something that specifically happens."This week, the department's public integrity unit shared the investigation file for Taylor's case to the Kentucky Attorney General's Office and will soon share the file with the FBI and the US attorney. Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, was arrested and charged with attempted murder of a police officer and first-degree assault. He was released for home incarceration and is scheduled to appear in court in late June. CNN's Kay Jones, Carma Hassan, Leah Asmelash and Rebekah Riess contributed to this report.

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Information storage and accessApplySave Preferences Accept allChat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. Breonna Taylor: What to know about Louisville EMT killed by police Breaking News | Live Video | Breonna Taylor: Lawsuit filed by family after police shoot, kill EMT in ‘botched’ drug raid By: Crystal Bonvillian, Cox Media Group National Content Desk Updated: May 27, 2020 - 4:36 PM LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky prosecutors have dropped criminal charges against the boyfriend of a Louisville EMT gunned down by police in her own home, and FBI officials have announced a federal probe into the March shooting.

The new developments in the death of Breonna Taylor and the case against Kenneth Walker came late last week, even as Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad announced his intent to retire from the force, effective July 1. Activists incensed by Taylor’s killing had been demanding Conrad’s resignation.

Conrad, who has been chief since 2012, did not mention the Taylor case in his announcement. He did allude, however, to tough times within the department.



“You all are weathering a lot right now and I know how challenging this is,” Conrad said in his statement. “Approach this as we approach all our struggles – as a team. Look out for each other. Show compassion to the community, even when it might not be shown to you. And remember what a privilege this job is.”

Louisville officers’ conduct is at the heart of the FBI probe into Taylor’s March 13 killing. FBI agents in the Louisville field office confirmed Thursday that they have begun an investigation into the case.

“FBI Louisville has opened an investigation into the shooting of Breonna Taylor,” Special Agent in Charge Robert Brown said in a statement. “The FBI will collect all available facts and evidence and will ensure that the investigation is conducted in a fair, thorough and impartial manner.”

Conrad and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer that the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office look into Taylor’s death.

Taylor and Walker were asleep around 12:40 a.m. March 13 when three Louisville officers, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and officers Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankinson, went to Taylor’s apartment complex in the 3000 block of Springfield Drive. In their hands was a search warrant for a drug suspect.

There were two problems: The man the officers were looking for lived elsewhere, and he had been arrested hours earlier, meaning he was already in police custody.



When the officers used a battering ram to break down the door, Walker got his legally owned handgun and, according to what he told authorities, fired a single shot, which struck Mattingly in the leg.

that the bullet pierced Mattingly’s femoral artery. If not for Mattingly’s wallet, which was in his front left pocket, the wound could have been fatal, the prosecutor said.

Mattingly and the other officers fired more than 20 shots into Taylor’s apartment, striking her at least eight times and killing her, according to a lawsuit filed by her family. Walker, who was not injured, was subsequently charged with the attempted murder of a police officer and aggravated assault.

Breonna Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, 27, was charged with attempted murder of a police officer and first-degree assault for shooting a Louisville, Ky., police officer March 13, 2020, when they forced their way into Taylor's apartment and shot her to death. The charges against Walker have since been dismissed. (Louisville Metro Jail) Wine that prosecutors had dropped the charges against Walker, who told authorities he fired in self-defense after the police entered the apartment. Walker said he believed he and Taylor were the victims of a home invasion.

While making the announcement Friday, Wine also attempted to combat a rumor that Mattingly had been shot by one of his fellow officers.

“His injury was not the result of friendly fire,” Wine said.

The prosecutor said there has been “a tremendous amount of false information” on what happened the morning Taylor was killed. Wine said neither his office nor the police department has been able to speak freely about the case due to the ongoing investigation.

Conrad .

“I am frustrated by this decision and I know you are as well, especially since we know how seriously our sergeant was injured,” . "But I still respect Mr. Wine’s integrity and judgment. We will have to let the process continue to play out and see if the case goes before a grand jury again.

“Mr. Wine presented additional information publicly today. Much of that information contradicts major points in the narrative being shared in the public. But ultimately, Mr. Wine is correct – a jury would have to decide which version of the events they believe. And we will continue to let the investigations progress.”

‘A whole lot of shots’ In Friday’s teleconference, of interviews with both Walker and Mattingly in which each man describes what he saw and heard the morning Taylor was killed. Wine said the men’s accounts “dovetail” closely, an indication that their recollections are accurate.

Walker said he and Taylor were awakened by several loud bangs on the apartment door. When they got up and started to dress, they realized the door was being rammed open.

Walker said he fired at the intruders, unaware they were police officers.

“I let off one shot and then all of a sudden there’s a whole lot of shots,” . “We both just dropped to the ground and the gun fell.”

Saying he was “scared to death,” Walker said he began seeing “lights and stuff.”

“So, I’m like, ‘OK, there’s the police,’ and there’s a lot of yelling and stuff. They’re just shooting and we’re both on the ground, and when all the shots stop, I’m, like, panicking, she’s right there on the ground, like, bleeding,” .

Taylor died on the floor of her hallway.

No drugs were found in the home. Neither Taylor nor Walker had a history of drug arrests, according to the lawsuit filed by her family.

Nevertheless, Vine said, the officers had a valid search warrant for Taylor’s apartment pertaining to their investigation.

witness statements that the officers failed to knock on Taylor’s door. To support his stance, he pointed to Walker’s own statement to police, in which he said he and Taylor heard multiple knocks on the door.

When they asked who was there, no one responded, Walker said. That’s when he grabbed his gun, which he said he had never fired outside of a shooting range.

Walker said as they walked into the hallway, he saw the door come off the hinges. He fired one shot, still not knowing who was there, he said.

Walker told police he aimed his gun toward the ground, hoping the shot would simply scare away whoever was breaking into the apartment.

“I don’t need to kill anybody if I can just get you out of here just by you hearing that,” .

Watch Wine’s news conference below and hear statements from Kenneth Walker and Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, courtesy of WAVE 3 News.

In his own interviews with investigators, Mattingly said he knocked multiple times on Taylor’s door. He said he and his colleagues didn’t immediately identify themselves.

“We didn’t announce the first couple because our intent was not to hit the door,” . “Our intent was to give (Taylor) plenty of time to get to the door because they said she was probably there alone.”

Though Walker and other witnesses said the officers never identified themselves, Mattingly said they announced themselves after the third knock. When no one came to the door, they used a battering ram to open it.

Read the lawsuit filed by the family of Breonna Taylor below.

by on Scribd

Wine said Friday that he believes Mattingly’s contention that the officers knocked on the door and identified themselves as police officers before making entry into Taylor’s home.

Ben Crump, a nationally-renowned civil rights attorney who is representing Taylor’s family, that Louisville authorities should “get their story straight.”

“First, they publicized that they knocked and announced,” . "But then they stated that they had a no-knock warrant that did not require them to knock and announce. And then today, the prosecutor said on a dry erase board that it was a knock and announce warrant. And they want the public to have faith that they can trust the police in the execution of this warrant.

“Until everyone involved is held accountable and the full truth of what happened that night is revealed, justice for Kenneth and Breonna is incomplete.”

that Walker’s criminal attorney, Rob Eggert, filed the motion to have his charges dismissed based on the fact that a detective who testified March 19 before a grand jury never told the jurors that officers killed Taylor.

The witness, Sgt. Amanda Seelye, also failed to tell jurors Walker fired his weapon because he thought Taylor’s apartment was being broken into, the motion said.

“The picture presented to the grand jury completely mischaracterizes the events that took place at Ms. Taylor’s apartment that resulted in Ms. Taylor’s death,” Eggert wrote in the motion, . “In fact, they completely omit the existence of Ms. Taylor at all.”

Listen to Seelye’s brief testimony below, courtesy of the Louisville Courier Journal.

Wine took issue with Eggert’s assertion that Seelye and prosecutors acted inappropriately.

“There was no misleading testimony by the detective in this case, nor was there any ethical breaches by the prosecutors in the Office of the Commonwealth Attorney,” . “However, I do agree with him that more should have been presented to the grand jury, including the statement of Kenneth Walker.”

Wine said that belief has led him to have the charges dismissed.

“I believe that additional investigation is necessary,” . “I believe that the independent investigation by the Attorney General’s Office of Kentucky, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office must be completed before we go forward with any prosecution of Kenneth Walker.”

Wine said charges could be refiled against Walker if the independent investigations produce new evidence against him.

“And if he wishes to testify before the grand jury, Kenneth Walker will be given that opportunity,” he said.

Walker was released from custody Tuesday, .

Breonna Taylor, 26, of Louisville, Ky., was shot and killed by police March 13, 2020, as they executed a search warrant at the wrong apartment, according to a lawsuit filed by her family. Taylor, an award-winning EMT and emergency room technician, was shot at least eight times. (Family photos via attorney Benjamin Crump) © 2020 Cox Media Group

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