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Breonna Taylor killed by police

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Updated 1804 GMT (0204 HKT) May 29, 2020

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7 shot during protest over police shooting of Breonna Taylor 02:10 (CNN)Outcry over thereached a boiling point overnight Thursday in Louisville, Kentucky, when gunfire erupted during protests and audio was released of Taylor's boyfriend's call to 911 the day of her death.

Seven people were shot downtown, the mayor on Twitter. Mayor Greg Fischer later told reporters the gunfire "came from within the crowd, not from police officers."Property damage was reported after peaceful demonstrations took a turn, according to Fischer, in a virtual news conference Friday, said two shooting victims were recovering after surgery. Five others were in "good condition," he said.Assistant Police Chief LaVita Chavous said the seven civilians were shot in the same incident, with one in critical condition. There were no leads on who fired the shots, she said.Read MoreAfter several hours of peaceful protests, Fisher said, some demonstrators turned to violence. "These shots came from within the crowd, not from police officers," he said. "No officers fired their weapons. If you hear anything to the contrary, that is not factual." Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear read a statement from Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, on CNN Friday, saying the last thing her daughter would want is more violence."Breonna devoted her own life to saving other lives, to helping others, to making people smile and to bringing people together," the statement said. "Changes are being made, but it is not enough. We will not stop until there is truth, justice and accountability. Her legacy will not be forgotten... Please keep saying her name. Please keep demanding justice and accountability, but let's do it the right way, without hurting each other."Protesters this week have demanded justice for Taylor, an EMT who was shot at least eight times in March when three officers entered her Kentucky apartment by force to serve a search warrant in a narcotics investigation. The department said the officers announced themselves and returned gunfire from her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker.Walker was charged with attempted murder of a police officer and first-degree assault, but . In a wrongful death lawsuit, Taylor's mother said the officers didn't knock at all. Beshear called Louisville "a special place" also marred by "a hundred years of slavery, of Jim Crow." Thursday night's protest started out "very peaceful" and "compliant" before "some other folks" hours into the demonstration appeared to instigate the violence. Asked about the hanging of an effigy of him outside the state Capitol over the weekend, Beshear said: "I'm not going to be afraid. I'm not going to let these folks bully me or bully the state of Kentucky." In a tweet later Friday, Beshear wrote, "My heart aches for Louisville & our country. Breonna Taylor's family & the public deserve the truth. We should honor Breonna's legacy as an EMT & the pursuit of the truth should not be marred by violence."But the protests turned violent overnight as fury in Minneapolis over the death this week of an unarmed black man in police custody , with marchers setting a police precinct on fire. Large crowds gathered in both places, even as experts warned people to continue to avoid big gatherings to stall the . "Understandably, emotions are high," Fischer said on Facebook. "As Breonna's mother says, let's be peaceful as we work toward truth and justice." Two police officers were taken to a hospital with chest pain spurred by the events, Chavous said. One was treated and released, the other hospitalized overnight. Chavous said police did not return fire when the shooting began but used tear gas to reach victims and offer medical aid. She said property damage included civilian and government vehicles, shattered windows, and bricks and gunfire unleashed on buildings, including the courthouse and police headquarters. One arrest was made for disorderly conduct and failure to disperse. "The fight for justice cannot be won with guns and vandalism," Fischer told reporters Friday. On Thursday, one of Walker's attorneys released audio of the 911 call placed by Walker after Taylor was shot.In the call, Walker tells the 911 operator, "Somebody kicked in the door and shot my girlfriend," and that Taylor was unresponsive on the ground. "This call is one of the hardest things I've ever listened to," attorney Sam Aguiar said in a statement Thursday. "Kenneth Walker is a great man. He stayed by Breonna's side. He lost the love of his life and then went to jail after doing everything right. He had no idea who had broken into the home and fired shots. My heart is bleeding for him and his family."The FBI has opened an investigation into the incident, and the Louisville Metro Police Department said it would require sworn officers to wear body cameras. CNN's Ray Sanchez, Mirna Alsharif, Veronica Stracqualursi, Amir Vera, Rebekah Riess, Lechelle Benken and Joe Sutton contributed to this report.

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Seven people were struck by gunfire at a protest in Louisville, Ky., on Thursday night as tensions there continued to escalate over the fatal shooting of a black woman by three white police officers in March.

Of those reported injured in the demonstration, two were taken for surgery and five were in good condition, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said early Friday morning. Mr. Fischer said no officers discharged their weapons and that the violence came from within the crowd.

Videos posted on social media appeared to show shots being fired while demonstrators surrounded a police vehicle. No officers were among those injured and it was too early to determine who was responsible, said the Louisville Metro Police Department.

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Protesters had gathered in the streets to call for police accountability in the fatal , chanting “no justice, no peace, prosecute police.”

ImageBreonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician, was killed when the police raided her apartment in Louisville, Ky., in March.Credit...via Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesHundreds of demonstrators made their way through the city throughout the evening. Jessie Halladay, a spokeswoman for the police department, said the gathering began peacefully but escalated to involve assaults on officers and property damage before the shooting.

“I feel the community’s frustration, the anger, the fear, but tonight’s violence and destruction is not the way to solve it,” Mr. Fischer said.

Updated 20m ago In a message posted on Facebook, Ms. Taylor’s sister, Juniyah Palmer, thanked demonstrators for demanding justice but asked them to keep things peaceful.

“Do not succumb to the levels that we see out of the police,” she wrote. “Speak. Protest. But do not resort to violence.”

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The shooting came on a night when .

Louisville police officers fatally shot Ms. Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician, at her home during a narcotics investigation in March. Police have said officers knocked on the door, announced their presence, then forced their way into the home after midnight before being met by gunfire.

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Sign upThe officers have since been placed on administrative leave but have not been charged with a crime.

Ms. Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, told investigators he did not hear police announce themselves and was terrified when the door was knocked down. In a 911 call just after the shooting, Mr. Walker told the dispatcher that “somebody kicked in the door and shot my girlfriend,” according to a recording released on Thursday.

Questions have continued to mount about the handling of the case. Authorities had initially charged Mr. Walker with attempted murder for shooting a police officer in the leg during the intrusion. Last week, prosecutors said they were dropping those charges, saying further investigation was needed.

In a lawsuit on behalf of Ms. Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, lawyers said police already had the main suspect in the narcotics investigation in custody before going into the home. No drugs were found in the apartment.

The F.B.I said last week that . Gov. Andy Beshear has called reports about Ms. Taylor’s death “troubling.”

Mayor Greg Fischer has said that in response to the shooting, “no knock” search warrants would require approval from the police chief or someone he designates before being sent to a judge for approval. Mr. Fischer said other changes included the departure of the Police Chief Steve Conrad, and that more changes would be coming.

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“There’s only one way forward, and that’s working together — work for the truth, work for peace, work for justice, for Breonna, her family and for all of Louisville,” Mr. Fischer said.

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The comments section is closed. To submit a letter to the editor for publication, write to .Site Index Support independent journalism. Breonna Taylor, Kentucky EMT, allegedly killed by police executing ... 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, Kentucky, apartment as part of a narcotics investigation just before 1 a.m. 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 that the to the office of Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

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'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 whether 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 that 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."

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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-Vt; 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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