DOJ brings federal charges against 4 police officers over Breonna Taylor's death: 'Should be alive today'



The Department of Justice has charged four Louisville Metropolitan Police Department officers involved in the controversial raid that killed Breonna Taylor.

What is the background?

Police officers fatally shot Taylor in March 2020 after they executed a warrant at the apartment she lived in with her boyfriend.

Police opened fire after Taylor's boyfriend fired a warning shot at police, which hit one of the officers. He fired because he thought the officers were intruders. Police claimed they announced their presence, a disputed fact. Taylor was shot multiple times, while her boyfriend was uninjured.

None of the officers were ever charged with Taylor's death. However, one of the officers, Brett Hankison, was later indicted by a grand jury on charges wanton endangerment for allegedly endangering Taylor's neighbors when he fired stray bullets into the adjacent homes. The bullets, though, did not injure anyone.

Hankison was acquitted of all charges in March.

What did the DOJ announce?

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced charges against LMPD sergeant Kyle Meany and detective Kelly Goodlett and former LMPD officers Joshua Jaynes and Hankison.

The DOJ alleges that Janyes and Meany falsified the affidavit used to obtain the search warrant for Taylor's apartment. Investigators also claim that Jaynes and Goodlett falsified investigative documents after Taylor's death, filing a false police report to cover up the false affidavit. Meany is also accused of lying to investigators.

Meanwhile, Hankison is accused of depriving both Taylor and her neighbors of their civil rights. The DOJ alleges he "willfully used unconstitutionally excessive force ... when he fired his service weapon into Taylor’s apartment through a covered window and covered glass door."

At a press conference, Garland accused the officers of depriving Taylor of her Fourth Amendment rights.

"Breonna Taylor should be alive today," Garland said.

After the DOJ announced the charges, LMPD Chief Erika Shields "began termination procedures" for Goodlett and Meany, the Washington Post reported. Hankison and Jaynes have already been fired.

Louisville Metro Police release findings from Breonna Taylor investigation: Here's what's in the massive file



The Louisville Metro Police Department has released the findings from its internal investigation into the case of Breonna Taylor's death. The investigation, which was carried out by LMPD's Public Integrity Unit, has 4,470 pages of investigative reports, interviews, and evidence reports, as well as hundreds of photos, 251 videos, 148 of which are interviews, and 57 are from body cameras.

Around 12:40 a.m. on March 13, Breonna Taylor was fatally shot by the Louisville Metro Police Department officers after they executed a "no-knock warrant," and forced entry into her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky. Officers said that they announced themselves as police before entering because they considered the operation to be low-risk. Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker said he did not hear any announcement, and mistakenly believed the cops to be home invaders.

Walker fired a shot, hitting officer Jonathan Mattingly in the leg. Investigators claim that police returned fire, and 32 rounds were shot into the apartment. Six rounds struck Taylor, killing her quickly.

The files released by LMPD include hundreds of photos, including over 1,200 images taken from the bullet-ridden apartment that features a shattered sliding glass door, and shell casings strewn on the ground near the front door.

There are photos of the blood-soaked wallet and pants of Mattingly, who was struck in his femoral artery and required emergency surgery. There are photos of Walker's Glock 9mm gun that was recovered under the bed inside the apartment. Walker was a licensed gun owner in Kentucky.

The report includes transcripts of video interviews from Kenneth Walker, who told investigators than he and Taylor were "scared to death" when they heard banging on the apartment door. He feared it was Taylor's ex-boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover.

There are interviews with LMPD officers involved with the Breonna Taylor case, including Detective Myles Cosgrove, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, and Detective Brett Hankison, who fired their weapons into the apartment. Hankinson was fired from the LMPD in June after being accused of "wantonly and blindly" firing 10 rounds into Taylor's apartment "without supporting facts" that his "deadly force was directed at a person."

In an interview with authorities, Mattingly claimed that the raid team knocked on Taylor's door six or seven times, and yelled, "Police, search warrant!" He estimated that the team knocked for about 45 seconds to a minute. After no response, they used a battering ram to breach the door.

"As soon as I cleared it, I'm face on, about probably 20 feet away right down the hallway," Mattingly said. "There's a bedroom door on the right and there's a - the male and the female."

Mattingly claimed there was a man in a "stretched out position with his hands, with a gun."

"And as soon as I clear, he fires - boom," he said. "My mind's going, this ain't right. You know, something's off here. Because all of the doors I've made entry and I've never seen this."

"Soon as the shot hit, I could feel heat in my leg. And so I just returned fire," Mattingly explained.

It also includes interviews with detectives Tony James, Michael Campbell, Michael Nobles, and Joshua Jaynes, who sought the warrant at Breonna's address.

Jaynes claimed that Glover was receiving "suspicious" mail at Taylor's apartment, which was allegedly "verified through a postal inspector." On May 19, he admitted that he didn't have evidence that the parcels Glover was receiving at her home were suspicious. Instead, Jaynes asked Mattingly to verify the deliveries. According to a report by the Public Integrity Unit reported by the Daily Mail, Mattingly told Jaynes that "Glover was not receiving suspicious packages at the address."

Jaynes claimed that he had a feeling that the packages were suspicious through his "training and experience." Jaynes admitted that he "could have worded it a little bit differently there." He insisted that he was not trying to mislead the judge, who signed the warrant.

"It was just in my opinion, that when I reach out to [Mattingly], the end-all-be-all was gonna be from a US Postal Inspector Office or the post office," Jaynes.

Jaynes was placed on administrative reassignment after the shooting. No drugs were found at Taylor's home.

There are interviews with Shively Police Department officers, who reportedly told LMPD officers that Taylor was not getting packages for Glover delivered to her apartment.

There are also interviews with S.W.A.T. officers that arrived on the scene, including Lt. Dale Massey, who described the execution of the warrant as an "egregious act."

Sgt. Michael Burns told investigators that Jaynes never mentioned that the LMPD was conducting a raid and the S.W.A.T. team was unaware of the raid. "(That warrant) was mentioned in our brief, but it made it seem like it was gonna be down the road and it was a low-risk search warrant," Burns said.

A key witness who police claim heard officers announce their presence at Taylor's apartment, but the neighbor said the exact opposite in his initial interview, according to The Courier-Journal.

Taylor's autopsy report showed that one bullet likely killed the 26-year-old after it struck her pulmonary artery and severely damaged one of her lungs.

Also in the investigation, there is a Kentucky State Police ballistics report, which did not confirm or deny that Walker's gun was the weapon used to shoot the officer.

A search of Walker's cell phone "found numerous conversations about drug trafficking," the investigation discovered, according to the Daily Mail.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said, "I urge all to be sensitive that these files contain information and images that are traumatic and painful."

Taylor's death at the hands of police has ignited anti-police brutality protests nationwide since the early summer.

Louisville police officer blasted 'woke' BLM, Antifa as 'punks' in email to colleagues — and then was relieved of her command



A Louisville Metropolitan Police Department officer is under investigation for an email she sent in August to her colleagues, dismissing Black Lives Matter and Antifa activists as "punks" unworthy of their attention and respect, NBC News reported.

LMPD Maj. Bridget Hallahan sent the email to the department's Fifth Division, which she leads. Interim Chief Robert Schroeder told NBC News on Friday that Hallahan had been relieved of her command of the division.

Hallahan is set to retire effective Oct. 1.

"I know it is hard to keep our thoughts and opinions to ourselves sometimes, especially when we, as a whole or as an individual, become the target of people in the public who criticize what we do without even knowing the facts," Hallahan wrote. "These ANTIFA and BLM people, especially the ones who just jumped on the bandwagon 'yesterday' because they became 'woke' (insert eye roll here), do not deserve a second glance or thought from us.

"Our little pinky toe nails have more character, morals, and ethics, than these punks have in their entire body," she continued. "Do not stoop to their level. Do not respond to them. If we do, we only validate what they did. Don't make them important, because they are not. They will be the ones washing our cars, cashing us out at the Walmart, or living in their parents' basement playing COD ["Call of Duty"] for their entire life."

How frustrated is @LMPD?A law enforcement source got me this August message from Maj. Bridget Hallahan to 5th Div… https://t.co/8zyoxedxqA
— Philmonger (@Philmonger)1600825430.0

Hallahan went on to invite her colleagues to come to her if they needed to vent about their problems.

Hallahan's frustrated message was sent to her coworkers after months of anti-police protests in Louisville because of the killing of Breonna Taylor in March. Protesters wanted the three police officers charged for Taylor's death, and some wanted the defunding or abolition of the police department.

Ultimately, only one of the three officers was charged in relation to the raid on Taylor's home. Former Sgt. Brett Hankison was charged with wanton endangerment for recklessly shooting into the apartment building, the same offense for which he was fired from the department in June.

LMPD spokesman Sgt. Lamont Washington said the department was aware of the email and looking further into the matter. Schroeder emphasized that the content represented Hallahan's opinion, and "do not represent the views of their department."

Hallahan accepted responsibility for the email and stood by it, telling NBC News her fellow officers have been supportive.

Commentary: The grand jury made the right decision in Breonna Taylor’s death. And that’s the problem.



Protesters predictably took to the streets in anger after Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced the charges against former Louisville Metropolitan Police Department Sgt. Brett Hankison on Wednesday.

Hankison was charged with three counts of wanton endangerment. It's a felony charge, but it has nothing to do with the fact that the officers shot and killed Breonna Taylor in her home during an overnight raid. Hankison was charged because he recklessly shot into the building and surrounding apartments. The two other officers involved were not charged at all.

Legally, it was probably the right call. And that's the problem. That's why it's so frustrating.

Taylor was suspected to be connected to her ex-boyfriend's drug trafficking activity. So the police had a warrant that legally allowed them to break into Taylor's apartment after midnight on March 13. The warrant didn't require them to knock, although Cameron claims they did.

Kenneth Walker, Taylor's boyfriend, was also in the apartment. He was a legal gun owner. When men, not in uniform, broke in the apartment in the middle of the night, he did what almost anyone with a gun might do — he used that gun to defend himself, his loved one, and their property from aggressors.

He didn't know he was shooting at cops. He thought it was a home invasion. Which is, by the way, an exceedingly reasonable thought to have when someone suddenly begins beating down your door in the middle of the night.

So in the heat of the moment, Walker fired one shot, which hit one of the officers in the leg. The officers then sprayed roughly two dozen bullets into and around the apartment, with six of them hitting Taylor. Walker was left inside to call 911, sobbing inconsolably, as he called for help for his dying girlfriend and tried to make sense of what had just happened.

AUDIO: 911 call from Kenneth Walker night Breonna Taylor died youtu.be

Once Walker fired that shot, the officers were legally enabled to use deadly force against Taylor and Walker. Every one of those 20+ bullets was legally justified because of Walker's one shot.

Breonna Taylor was not a violent criminal. At this point, there's no proof that she's a criminal at all. Police didn't find any drugs, drug money, or illegal weapons in her apartment after they killed her. The problem isn't the charge against Hankison; the problem is the decisions that led to that violent confrontation in the first place.

If police are going to be protected in situations where they have to use deadly force against suspects — which they must be in order to do their jobs — then they have a responsibility to avoid creating unnecessary situations in which that deadly force must be used, like those LMPD officers did the night Taylor was killed.

Police should not have gotten a no-knock warrant in this situation. Police should not have been sent to break down her door overnight in a surprise raid on the off chance she had some illegal items in her home. She was a 26-year-old emergency medical technician. She wouldn't have been difficult to find or arrest any number of other ways, if an arrest was even justified.

But because a potential nonviolent drug offender was treated with such aggression, she was killed, her boyfriend was put in an impossible and traumatic situation, a police officer was shot, another was fired and charged with three felony counts, and public trust for law enforcement took another hit.

And in the end, taxpayers with no role or responsibility in the situation footed the bill for the $12 million settlement the city paid Taylor's family in a civil lawsuit.

A citizen was killed in her home by the state, and while an officer was held accountable for bullets that went through apartment walls, no officers were held accountable for the bullets that pierced Breonna Taylor's body and ended her life.

We need to focus on making sure police are made to carry out their duties in a way that maximizes public safety and doesn't violate people's rights. We have to make sure people like Breonna Taylor don't get treated as expendable because of their proximity to drugs. We have to fight for the change that prevents these encounters from occurring, so we don't have to wait for a charging decision in fleeting hope for some form of justice after someone has been wrongly killed.

Regardless of what you think of Breonna Taylor, or what you think of police, we should all be able to agree that a system that produces this outcome when it works as intended needs to be altered and improved.

Breonna Taylor's life can't be restored, and the pain and trauma felt by her loved ones will last a lifetime. I just pray that the lessons learned from this tragedy can be used to save lives like hers in the future.

Buildings, vehicles vandalized on second night of Breonna Taylor protests, but no recorded attacks on citizens or police after two cops were shot Wednesday



Protests in Louisville were less violent Thursday night, calming down significantly from the previous night, during which two Louisville Metropolitan Police Department officers were shot, the Courier Journal reported.

Thursday was the second night since the grand jury decision not to charge any officers for killing Breonna Taylor during a raid on her home in March. One former officer, Brett Hankison, was charged with three counts of wanton endangerment, related to his allegedly shooting recklessly into surrounding apartments — not to the fact that Taylor was shot and killed.

The Courier Journal reported that 24 people were arrested overnight Thursday, down from 127 the night before. Some of the arrests were for unlawful assembly and failure to disperse, and others, including a state representative, Attica Scott, were charged with felony rioting.

Local reports say protesters numbered in the hundreds, mostly marching through the city and chanting. Some protesters reportedly confronted armed militia members who said they had come to the city to protect property, but those confrontations did not escalate into violence.

Police say some businesses and buses were damaged by vandals. Social media videos show some protesters carrying bats and smashing windows. Louisville police indicated that only "several" marchers were involved in the vandalism. One person tossed a flare through a broken window at the library.

After the curfew, protesters took refuge in the First Unitarian Church, where church leaders were allowing people to gather on the property to avoid arrest. While police appeared to line up outside the church for some time, protesters were eventually allowed to leave after police concluded their investigation at the library.

"Contrary to rumors on social media, the LMPD, at no time, was waiting for 'a decision from legal about whether or not they can storm the property,'" an LMPD Facebook post read. "No arrests were made for being on church property. No National Guard was deployed to address these issues. Officers remained at 4th and York in order to secure the area so maintenance could address the library windows that were broken and an arson investigation begun. Once that was complete, police left the area and protestors were given directions on how to leave the church and head home and were able to walk back to their vehicles."

Louisville police declared a state of emergency earlier this week in advance of the attorney general's announcement about charges against the officers, which foreshadowed a decision officials knew protesters would be unhappy with. The windows of some federal buildings had been boarded up, and in-person court hearings were changed to virtual meetings this week for fear of unrest.

Two police officers were shot Wednesday night. Police arrested 26-year-old Larynzo Johnson in connection with the shooting. Both of the officers, Maj. Aubrey Gregory and Officer Robinson Desroches, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Johnson has been charged with two counts of first-degree assault of a police officer and 14 counts of wanton endangerment of a police officer.

Louisville police officer shot during Breonna Taylor riots walks in for roll call one night after attack — and the response is fantastic



One of two Louisville, Kentucky, police officers who were shot during Wednesday night protests showed up for roll call the very night after he was shot and hospitalized.

What's a brief history here?

A suspect — identified as 26-year-old Larynzo Johnson — reportedly opened fire on two officers, identified as Maj. Aubrey Gregory and Officer Robinson Desroches, during Wednesday night unrest following the announcement of an indictment in the Breonna Taylor case.

Authorities arrested and charged Johnson with two counts of assault in the first degree and 14 counts of wanton endangerment in connection with the assault on Gregory and Desroches.

You can read more about the indictment in the Taylor case here.

What are the details?

Viral video shows the moment Gregory — wearing a hooded sweatshirt that appears to read "Nobody cares, work harder" — walked into a room where roll call was being held.

Gregory was shot in the hip during the Wednesday night protests and transported to a local hospital for treatment. Desroches was shot in the abdomen and was taken to the hospital for emergency surgery. Desroches remains hospitalized in stable condition and is expected to recover from the attack.

In the video of Gregory's return, raucous applause erupts as the major, who is commander of the Louisville Metro Police Department's Special Operation Division, humbly makes his entrance and waves off the attention.

On Thursday night, the department shared video of Gregory's return to its Facebook page, writing, "Last night, two LMPD officers were shot in the line of duty during our response to the local protests."

"We're happy to share this short video of Majory [sic] Gregory, walking in to [sic] one of our roll calls less than 24 hours after being shot," the posting continued. "Major Gregory is still recovering from his injury and is not back to full duty ... yet."

The post concluded, "The other officer shot is still recovering."

At the time of this reporting, the video has been liked more than 9,600 times.

Anything else?

Johnson, who was taken into custody Wednesday night, is set to be arraigned on Friday.

In a statement, LMPD interim Chief Robert Schroeder said that the attack "could have been so much worse."

"Last night's situation could have been so much worse for our officers and for the people who were protesting when the gunfire rang out," Schroeder said according to the Louisville Courier Journal.

"We are extremely fortunate these two officers will recover."

The outlet reported that Johnson's arrest citation said the suspect's actions "showed an extreme indifference to the value of human life."

Man loses his job after pulling a gun on protesters in Louisville. Police posted video showing a protester pointing a gun at him.



A man seen pulling a gun on protesters in a viral video soon lost his job, but police posted another video showing that a protester pulled a gun on him as well.

The incident happened during a protest on Friday in Louisville, Kentucky.

A screenshot from the video went viral on social media as people condemned the man according to the misleading and incomplete information provided.

A Trump supporter attempted to run over peaceful protestors in Louisville. They then pulled out a gun and threatene… https://t.co/X86EbAD1mF
— Travis Allen 🇺🇸 (@Travis Allen 🇺🇸)1600639241.0

There was no evidence provided to confirm the claim that the man was a Trump supporter.

The man was eventually identified as Jim Geisler and he lost his job at American Air Filter Co., which released a statement explaining the decision.

"AAF Flanders supports the right to peacefully assemble as an expression of free speech," said a spokesperson for the company.

"In our view, the actions of this individual show poor judgment and are inconsistent with the core values of our company," they added. "As such, this individual is no longer with the company."

Louisville Metro Police declined to file charges against the man despite the demands from many on social media, and posted an explanation on their Facebook page.

"Yesterday, during the protest activity in the Hurstbourne/Shelbyville Rd area, individuals were observed surrounding and inflicting damage on a vehicle at the traffic light on Hurstbourne Pkwy. During this event, a woman who was participating in the protest pointed a handgun at the occupant of the vehicle, placing him and others in extreme danger," the post read.

"Fortunately, officers were able to move the crowd away and took her into custody a short time later without incident," they added.

"His gun was specifically for me"

Protesters say that that is also an incomplete video about what happened.

"I wasn't even thinking about my life, in that moment, I was thinking about everyone else that was around, which is why I drew my weapon back," said Robin Ash, the woman who was arrested, to WHAS-TV.

"His gun was pointed, I mean, directly at me, it was like I walked up and his gun was specifically for me, was the way I felt at that moment," she told the outlet.

David Mour, an attorney for Ash said he was going to sue the police department for defamation and slander over what he termed a malicious prosecution. She was charged with wanton endangerment, criminal mischief and for being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun, but she argues that a governor's pardon in 2015 restored her civil rights.

"He was forced to protect himself"

In a GoFundMe campaign page set up for Geisler, a friend of the family gives his version of the events.

"On Friday, 9/18, Jim Geisler was on his way home from work, and was confronted by protesters on Hurstbourne Parkway in Louisville, KY. While at a stoplight, Jim's car was approached by the menacing group. They gathered around his car while causing considerable damage to his car. A female protester pointed a gun at Jim," the post explained.

"Jim's personal safety, and the integrity of his vehicle/property were at stake," it added. "He was forced to protect himself. He raised and pointed his firearm at the group in an attempt to ward Them off."

The campaign has raised more than $8,000.

Here's a local news report about the incident:

Protesters push back on LMPD video showing demonstrations in East Louisvillewww.youtube.com

One officer charged in Breonna Taylor's death, mayor implements 72-hour curfew to limit potential riots



One former Louisville Metropolitan Police Department officer was charged Wednesday in the death of Breonna Taylor, with the two other involved officers avoiding charges altogether, USA Today reported.

Former LMPD Sgt. Brett Hankison was charged with three counts of wanton endangerment for allegedly firing his gun recklessly into Taylor's apartment on March 13 during an overnight no-knock drug raid. Hankison was fired from the department for his actions that night.

The other two officers, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove, had been placed on administrative leave, but were still with the department.

First degree wanton endangerment is defined as follows:

A person is guilty of wanton endangerment in the first degree when, under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life, he wantonly engages in conduct which creates a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to another person.

The charge is a class D felony that carries a maximum penalty of a $10,000 fine and up to five years in prison.

When the three officers charged into Taylor's apartment around 1 a.m. March 13, Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired one shot at them. The officers were not in uniform, and Walker said he thought it was a home invasion. Walker shot Mattingly in the leg. The three officers returned fire with more than 20 shots. Taylor was shot five times.

The city of Louisville paid a settlement of $12 million to Taylor's family as part of a civil lawsuit.

Louisville officials had been preparing for unrest after this announcement, as protesters have been calling for the firing and arrest of all three officers involved in the shooting since May. The mayor established a 72 hour curfew of from 9 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. each day. The LMPD declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, canceling officers' time off requests and extending their hours.

There is already some indication of dissatisfaction with the charge. From the Associated Press:

Immediately after the announcement, people were expressing frustration that the grand jury did not do more.

"Justice has NOT been served," tweeted Linda Sarsour of Until Freedom, a group that has pushed for charges in the case. "Rise UP. All across this country. Everywhere. Rise up for #BreonnaTaylor."

Left-wing protester — who's also a convicted felon — arrested after pointing gun at Louisville motorist



Sometimes those peaceful, gun-shunning leftists can surprise you.

Seems one of them who took part in a Louisville protest march Friday evening pointed a gun at a motorist — and to top it off, the arrestee is a convicted felon, WDRB-TV reported.

What are the details?

Louisville Metro Police on Saturday released video taken from a police helicopter that was circling over the march, and it shows a woman — identified as Robin Ash — pointing a gun at the driver of a dark gray Ford Taurus, the station said.

Ash is facing charges of wanton endangerment, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, and criminal mischief, WDRB reported, citing court records.

But others at the scene defended Ash, saying the driver pointed a gun at demonstrators first, the station said.

In the police video, which contains no sound, the car in question is traveling in the opposite direction from the march — and one protester appears to be standing in the left-hand turn lane the car enters.

The car comes to a stop after passing the protester, and that's when the trouble starts.

Several protesters approach the car, including a woman who pulls out a gun and points it at the motorist.

Image source: Facebook video screenshot via Louisville Metro Police Department

After another protester appears to intervene, the woman who pointed the gun walks away from the scene and seems to place something in her pocket or waistband.

Image source: Facebook video screenshot via Louisville Metro Police Department

Others remained near the car and WDRB said one person appears to kick the vehicle while other protesters try to get the crowd away. The police video shows the car drive a short distance down the street before it comes to a stop, and the station said the driver exits the car as police gather around the vehicle and protesters continue to move forward.

Another video, another story

Sheri Wright took her own video of the march and posted a clip of the incident involving the car on her Facebook page, WDRB said — and at a Sunday news conference at the Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, she said the motorist "tried to run over protesters."

Wright's video shows the Ford Taurus drive closely past at least two people marching in the street before coming to a stop, the station said.

More from WDRB:

As Wright approaches the car, video shows the man behind the wheel pulling out a gun and pointing it at the demonstrators near his car. Ash is not seen approaching the car in Wright's video, which is focused on the driver's window.

Wright follows the car as it moves a few feet down the road, and her video shows the man get out of the car and again point a gun at protesters as he inspects a dent in his vehicle. The man then gestures in the direction of police, who are seen moments later moving the crowd away from the vehicle.

Image source: Facebook video screenshot via Sheri Wright

Here's Wright's video. (Content warning: Language):

"What do you do when somebody threatens you with a gun? You know, you run or you defend — fight or flight," Wright said, according to the station. "So I'm not going to knock anyone who felt her life was threatened, because I certainly felt my life was threatened, as did everyone there."

She added to WDRB that police "surrounded themselves around this man and his vehicle in a protective fashion."

"It seems very one-sided as far as where LMPD interjects itself into a conflict," Wright also noted to the station. "From my observation, they want to protect the people who are opposed to the protesters against police brutality. I've seen this over and over and over again."

What did police have to say?

Sgt. Lamont Washington said in a statement that the motorist wasn't arrested because he was a victim in the incident, WDRB said.

"LMPD released the video to show the whole story," Washington added to the station. "A still photo or single angle often doesn't do that. No charges are expected of the driver whose name will not be released since he was the victim."

(H/T: Bearing Arms)

Officer involved in Breonna Taylor's death sends message to fellow officers slamming protesters, FBI: 'Don't put up with their s**t'



A Louisville Metropolitan Police Department officer sent an email to approximately 1,000 fellow officers at 2 a.m. Tuesday criticizing protesters, city officials, department leadership, and the FBI as he awaits a decision on whether he will be charged in Breonna Taylor's death, Vice News reported.

The email, written by Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and obtained by Vice News' Roberto Aram Ferdman, foreshadowed a "rough" period to come as the city braces for potential unrest if Mattingly, Officer Myles Cosgrove, and Sgt. Brett Hankison are not charged in Taylor's death this week.

New: LMPD Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly (who is being investigated as part of Breonna Taylor’s case) sent an email to aro… https://t.co/SZEgX3jHLd
— Roberto Aram Ferdman (@Roberto Aram Ferdman)1600779325.0

"No matter the ineptitude in upper command or the mayor's office, this is one of the greatest jobs on earth," Mattingly wrote. "With that being said, these next few days are going to be tough. They are going to be long, they are going to be frustrating. They will put a tremendous amount of stress on your families."

The Louisville Metro PD declared a state of emergency Monday in advance of an expected grand jury decision on whether to charge the three officers who executed the no-knock search warrant on Taylor's home the night they shot and killed her. Hankison was fired, but Mattingly and Cosgrove are still with the department on administrative leave.

Mattingly told the other officers in the email that they didn't deserve the abuse they will potentially face from protesters in coming days.

"You DO NOT DESERVE to be in this position," Mattingly wrote. "The position that allows thugs to get in your face and yell, curse, and degrade you. Throw bricks, bottles, and urine on you and expect you to do nothing. It goes against EVERYTHING we were all taught in the academy. The position that if you make a mistake, during one of the most stressful times in your career, the department and FBI (who aren't cops and would piss their pants if they had to hold the line) go after you for civil rights violations. Your civil rights mean nothing, but the criminal has total autonomy."

Mattingly defended the officers' actions the night Taylor was killed. After the officers broke in the door of Taylor's apartment, Taylor's boyfriend shot at them, saying he believed it was a home invasion, and they returned fire with approximately 20 shots. Five of them hit Taylor, killing her.

"Regardless of the outcome today or Wednesday, I know we did the legal, moral, and ethical thing that night," Mattingly wrote. "It's sad how the good guys are demonized, and criminals are canonized. Put that aside for a while, keep your focus and do your jobs that you are trained and capable of doing. Don't put up with their s**t, and go home to those lovely families and relationships."

The officers had a warrant for Taylor because she was believed to be connected to her ex-boyfriend's drug trafficking operation. No drugs or money were found at her home.