Louisville police chief takes step to fire officer in Breonna Taylor shooting

[rooster59]

Louisville police chief takes step to fire officer in Breonna Taylor shooting

 

Personnel with the Federal Bureau of Investigation stage outside the apartment of Breonna Taylor as the agency executes a search warrant of the home in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. June 19, 2020. REUTERS/Bryan Woolston

 

(Reuters) - The police chief in Louisville, Kentucky said on Friday he intended to fire one of three officers involved in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman killed in a burst of gunfire when drug investigators mistakenly entered her home.

 

Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician, was killed on March 13 after the officers entered her apartment bearing a "no-knock" arrest warrant that targeted the wrong house.

 

In a letter to Detective Brett Hankison posted on Twitter, Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Robert Schroeder said he intended to fire the officer for what he called "extreme" violations of standard operating procedures when Hankison used deadly force upon entering the apartment.

 

"Your actions displayed an extreme indifference to the value of human life when you wantonly and blindly fired ten (10) rounds into the apartment of Breonna Taylor," Schroeder wrote. "I find your conduct a shock to the conscience."

 

The River City Fraternal Order of Police, which represents LMPD officers, did not reply to a request for comment.

 

Hankison, who was hired by the department in 2003, had previously been disciplined in January 2019 for reckless conduct that injured an innocent person, Schroeder's letter said.

 

It said Hankison would have the opportunity, with counsel or a union representative, to provide "additional information or mitigating factors" before his termination was finalized.

 

Benjamin Crump, an attorney for Taylor's family, called the police chief's letter "damning," and said on Twitter that he wanted to see the other officers fired and criminally charged.

 

Taylor's death, along with the May 25 death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd and other police killings of Black people, has become a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement and has sparked nationwide protests against racism and police brutality.

 

Hours after the March 13 raid, Louisville police Lieutenant Ted Eiden told reporters the officers had knocked on the door before forcing entry and were shot at by Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker. One officer was struck in the leg and all three returned fire, hitting Taylor at least eight times, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.

 

Walker was charged with attempted murder and assault, but last month state prosecutors dropped the charges, the Courier-Journal reported.

 

(Reporting by Gabriella Borter and Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Frances Kerry and Daniel Wallis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-20

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[mr mr]

sheeeeeeeeeeeeet and they say ms-13 is the biggest gang on earth ? 

 

not even close.

[Pedrogaz]

Don't take steps, just fire the thug.

[KKr]

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Walker was charged with attempted murder and assault, but last month state prosecutors dropped the charges, the Courier-Journal reported.

 

so, simple , re-open the case .... 

 

[Unify]

1 hour ago, KKr said:

so, simple , re-open the case .... 

 

Why? People burst into an apartment, and according to neighbors, did not announce themselves as police. Shouldn't someone breaking into your place get shot?

[phantomfiddler]

What a bunch of clowns ! They have an order to break a door down with no warning, and fail to ensure that it,s the correct door ??? Tragic comedy of American life.

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, Unify said:

Why? People burst into an apartment, and according to neighbors, did not announce themselves as police. Shouldn't someone breaking into your place get shot?

In the US, yes. So I am highly surprised a 'no warrant entry' seems to be accepted, especially in the US.

[vermin on arrival]

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/crime/2020/06/11/breonna-taylor-review-ordered-cop-accused-sexual-assault/5344290002/

 

More interesting information about this officer. Seems he was a serial sex offender of some kind.

 

Oh and check out the police report that was released to the public. Pretty much blank.

 

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/crime/2020/06/10/breonna-taylor-shooting-louisville-police-release-incident-report/5332915002/

[johnpetersen]

4 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

What a bunch of clowns ! They have an order to break a door down with no warning, and fail to ensure that it,s the correct door ??? Tragic comedy of American life.

It isn't just that. This was a routine drug warrant. And they came on like the cavalry. The police forces in America have become increasingly militarized even thought serious crime began to decline in the 90's.

[KKr]

9 hours ago, KKr said:

so, simple , re-open the case .... 

 

Poops, misread whose case.

assumed it was the policeman shooting the people inside. 
earlier comment withdrawn. 

@Unify appreciate your civilized comment

 

[Tug]

Imo who is the <deleted> who exposed thease cops to the danger of a no knock warrant what would you expect from the home owner having their door busted down in the dead of night just a total fubar unessary and tragic for the young lady beyond belief hold the idiot who issued the no knock warrant responsible 

Edited June 20, 2020 by Tug