Breonna Taylor

On March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor and her boyfriend Kenneth Walker were asleep in their apartment. The Louisville Metro Police Department executed a no-knock warrant at their address. Shots were fired by both parties. Breonna Taylor was killed and Kenneth Walker sustained injuries. These are the stories about this case.

The Death of Breonna Taylor

After mistrial, feds move to retry ex-Louisville cop who fired shots in Breonna Taylor raid

BY Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Federal prosecutors told a judge Wednesday they intend to retry former Louisville officer Brett Hankison after a jury deadlocked last month over charges he used excessive force the night Breonna Taylor was killed by police in 2020.

A judge declared a mistrial Nov. 16 after the jury deliberated for several days but could not reach a unanimous decision. Hankison fired 10 shots the night of the deadly raid but did not strike anyone. His shots went into Taylor's apartment and into a neighboring unit, where a child was sleeping.

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What's next after Brett Hankison mistrial?

BY Erin Kelly

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Department of Justice said it is considering all of its options after the federal trial of a former Louisville police detective ended in a mistrial Thursday.

The jury could not agree on whether Brett Hankison violated the civil rights of Breonna Taylor, her boyfriend and her neighbors after more than three days of deliberations.

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Mistrial declared in Brett Hankison's civil rights trial, DOJ exploring options

BY Spectrum News Staff
UPDATED 10:42 AM ET Nov. 17, 2023

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A day after a mistrial was declared in Brett Hankison's federal civil rights trial, a Department of Justic spkesperson tells Spectrum News 1, " The Department of Justice is actively considering all of our available options."

The mistrial could result in a retrial of Hankison, but that would be determined by federal prosecutors at a later date.

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Deliberations are underway in Brett Hankison's trial

BY Erin Kelly

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jurors are deliberating in the federal trial of a former Louisville police detective who was involved in the raid in which police shot and killed Breonna Taylor.

In closing arguments on Monday, a federal prosecutor argued Brett Hankison fired blindly into Taylor’s home even though he knew it was wrong and against his training because he was angry that someone fired at police first.

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Former Louisville officer charged in Breonna Taylor raid says he was defending fellow officers

BY Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The ex-Louisville police officer on trial for firing into Breonna Taylor’s apartment the night she was killed testified Thursday he had to react quickly after a fellow officer was shot in the leg during the drug raid.

Brett Hankison said he saw a muzzle flash come from inside Taylor’s hallway after officers knocked down the door in the early hours of March 13, 2020, to execute a search warrant. He testified he believed it sounded like an assault rifle, so he moved to the side of Taylor’s apartment and fired shots in through a sliding glass door and window.

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Detective who killed Breonna Taylor, testifies against Hankison

BY Erin Kelly

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The former Louisville Metro Police detective who shot and killed Breonna Taylor testified in the federal trial of his former colleague, Brett Hankison.

Former detective Myles Cosgrove, who fired the shot that killed Breonna Taylor, testified there isn’t a day that he doesn’t think about it and if he had all the facts that he now knows about the 2020 raid on her home, the outcome would be different.

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Breonna Taylor's neighbor testifies in federal trial

BY Erin Kelly
UPDATED 6:19 AM ET Nov. 03, 2023

Correction: A previous version of this story attributed information to the incorrect defense attorney, William Stewart Mathews. It was actually Jack Byrd. The error has been corrected. (11/3/2023)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Attorneys in the federal trial of former Louisville police detective Brett Hankison began their opening statements.

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Jamarcus Glover, Breonna Taylor’s ex-boyfriend, was arrested for allegedly trafficking narcotics

BY Aly Prouty and Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jamarcus Glover, Breonna Taylor’s ex-boyfriend, was arrested for trafficking narcotics, according to court documents.

Glover, 33, was arrested by St. Matthews Police Department on Saturday morning. Court documents said Glover allegedly trafficked narcotics and had children help him transport and sell the drugs, including heroin, fentanyl and other illegal drugs.

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Three years after Breonna Taylor's death: What's changed, how her memory remains

BY Bryce Shreve

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Monday, March 13, 2023 marks three years since the death of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman who was shot and killed by Louisville Metro Police officers executing a no-knock warrant at her apartment.

Taylor's death helped spark the racial justice movement in 2020 and has come to define Louisville's history. Since her death, many things have changed in Louisville and beyond.

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Louisville lawmakers discuss DOJ report on LMPD

BY Erin Kelly

FRANKFORT, Ky. — For Sen. Gerald Neal (D-Louisville), the U.S. Department of Justice’s scathing report on the Louisville Metro government and the Louisville Metro Police Department — detailing excessive force, racial discrimination and other violations — was validation of a history of a lack of respect and abuse of authority.

“This has been understood as a reality as long as I’ve been on this earth and conscious,” said Neal. “What we have a tendency to lose in this situation is that there are a lot of good cops and that community needs cops and there needs to be a proper relationship between community and police.”

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'No excuse for any of that': Louisville mayor and interim police chief react to DOJ report

BY David Williams

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — We’re getting a much deeper look into the minds of both Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and Interim Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel after the U.S. Department of Justice’s report on the Louisville Metro Police Department was released.

Both the mayor and the interim chief sat for an interview with Spectrum News 1 to respond to the report. Two works kept coming up from both of them: “reform” and “improvements”.

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Politicians, police union offer opposing impressions of DOJ's report on LMPD

BY Julia Benbrook and Bryce Shreve

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The scathing "pattern or practice" report released by the Department of Justice this week detailed widespread misconduct and violation of Constitutional rights by Louisville police. The DOJ and the city have agreed to a consent decree to make changes at LMPD.

Many local and state politicians voiced full-throated support for the DOJ's findings and consent decree, but Louisville's police union blasted the report as "unfair."

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Mother of Breonna Taylor reacts to Justice Department's LMPD report

BY Jonathon Gregg

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Breonna Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, was somber as the Department of Justice released a report detailing how Louisville Metro Police “engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law.”

Palmer said the DOJ has finally said what she’s known for three years: the raid on her daughter’s home and her death at the hands of police should have never happened.

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Local activists hope the justice report brings change

BY David Williams
UPDATED 5:21 PM ET Mar. 08, 2023

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Pastor and former Louisville mayoral candidate, Timothy Findley Jr. was in the audience at Metro Hall, when U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the findings of the Department of Justice’s probe into Louisville Metro Police.

Findley, who is the CEO of ElderServe said it was a somber moment, stating, “What I take away is acknowledgement that Black people, specifically Black people, have been terrorized in this city for a long time. In 2020, people rose up and talked about it, got out in the streets and our city officials and city leaders were more concerned with broken windows than with a broken system.”

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DOJ, Louisville agree to a consent decree. What happens next?

BY Lachlan McLean

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Following the Department of Justice's findings of a civil rights investigation into the Louisville Metro Police Department and Louisville Metro Government, the city signed an agreement to negotiate a consent decree, committing to making improvements in the department.

The agreement said the city does not concede that there is a pattern of constitutional violations, but that “the findings raise issues of importance.”

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DOJ finds Louisville police have history of discrimination, excessive force

BY Erin Kelly and Spectrum News Staff
UPDATED 4:41 PM ET Mar. 08, 2023

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The U.S. Justice Department has found Louisville police have engaged in a pattern of violating constitutional rights following an investigation prompted by the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor.

Attorney General Merrick Garland made the announcement Wednesday. A Justice Department report found the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government and Louisville Metro Police Department “engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law.”

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Court upholds termination of former Louisville detective Myles Cosgrove

BY Bryce Shreve

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Myles Cosgrove, the former Louisville detective who was fired in 2021 for violating LMPD's policy on the use of deadly force, will not get his job back, a circuit court judge ruled Monday.

Cosgrove was one of three cops involved in the deadly no-knock drug raid on Breonna Taylor's apartment. Cosgrove fired the shot that killed the 26-year-old Black woman after returning fire from her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker.

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Lawyers get more time in Breonna Taylor warrant case

BY Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Lawyers for two former Kentucky police officers charged with conspiring to falsify the Breonna Taylor search warrant were granted more time Tuesday to review the case's massive trove of evidence.

U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson agreed to reconvene the attorneys in May with a status hearing. Former Louisville officers Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany are charged with criminal civil rights violations that carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.

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Advocacy group hosts second protest in one week in wake of controversial dinner

BY Jordan Grantz

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Summer Shannon, president of the Bowling Green Freedom Walkers, stood outside Anna’s Greek Restaurant Monday night demanding justice. It was the second protest Shannon has attended in the last week.

“I’m disappointed that Anna’s Restaurant allowed the event to take place, that Mattingly is profiting off of Breonna Taylor’s murder and that we’re allowing a murderer to come into our town,” Shannon said.

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Despite Mattingly controversy, Republican women's club fundraiser was held at Greek restaurant

BY Jordan Grantz

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The Republican Women’s Club of South Central Kentucky’s Tuesday fundraising dinner in Bowling Green, where ex-LMPD officer Jonathon Mattingly was scheduled to speak, had been cancelled. But it was later discovered that the event had been quietly relocated to Anna’s Greek Restaurant, much to the surprise of guests dining there.

The owner of Anna’s Greek Restaurant in Bowling Green said the club hosted an event Tuesday night at his restaurant, serving about 80 people.

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Racial justice protesters rally against fundraiser where former LMPD Sgt. Mattingly scheduled to speak

BY Jordan Grantz
UPDATED 10:45 AM ET Jan. 18, 2023

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — A community group that aims to promote unity held a protest in Bowling Green in honor of Breonna Taylor.

They opposed a scheduled event where former Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officer Jonathan Mattingly would have spoken to a group of Republican women voters. Mattingly was one of three who took part in the infamous raid that killed Taylor.

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Quarles reschedules fundraiser appearance after being billed alongside cop involved in Breonna Taylor raid

BY Bryce Shreve and Khyati Patel
UPDATED 12:50 PM ET Jan. 17, 2023

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Kentucky gubernatorial candidate Ryan Quarles backed out of a campaign event Tuesday, opting not to appear along with a now-retired Louisville police officer who fired at Breonna Taylor after being shot during the deadly raid on Taylor’s apartment three years ago.

The event in Bowling Green was publicized over the weekend, with Quarles and former LMPD Sgt. Johnathon Mattingly billed as featured speakers. Mattingly retired from LMPD and was one of the three cops involved in the infamous no-knock raid that killed Breonna Taylor. Mattingly was injured during the raid.

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New historical marker memorializes Breonna Taylor, 2020 racial justice protests

BY Bryce Shreve

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Mayor Greg Fischer on Wednesday joined family and friends of Breonna Taylor, David McAtee and Tyler Gerth to unveil a new historical marker in Jefferson Square Park that memorializes their deaths and the 2020 racial justice protests.

The marker, labeled “2020 Racial Justice Protests,” reads:

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Breonna Taylor's boyfriend settles lawsuits over shooting

BY Spectrum News Staff and Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The boyfriend of Breonna Taylor who fired a shot at police as they burst through Taylor's door the night she was killed has settled two lawsuits against the city of Louisville, his attorneys said Monday.

The city agreed to pay $2 million to settle lawsuits filed by Kenneth Walker in federal and state court, one of his attorneys, Steve Romines said in a written statement. He added that Taylor's death “will haunt Kenny for the rest of his life.”

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Ex-Louisville cop involved in protest shooting of David McAtee pleads guilty

BY Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A former Louisville police officer blamed for instigating a conflict that led to the fatal shooting of a Black barbecue restaurant owner during the Breonna Taylor protests has pleaded guilty to using excessive force.

Katie R. Crews, 29, pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to a misdemeanor. She was indicted in March on a felony excessive force charge that carried a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

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Breonna Taylor warrant details deepen mistrust in police for many

BY Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Recent revelations about the search warrant that led to Breonna Taylor’s death have reopened old wounds in Louisville’s Black community and disrupted the city’s efforts to restore trust in the police department.

Former Louisville officer Kelly Goodlett admitted in federal court that she and another officer falsified information in the warrant. That confirmed to many, including U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, that Taylor never should have been visited by armed officers on March 13, 2020.

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Former Louisville detective pleads guilty to conspiracy in Breonna Taylor case

BY Bryce Shreve and Associated Press
UPDATED 3:24 PM ET Aug. 23, 2022

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A former Louisville Metro Police detective on Tuesday pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the federal probe of Breonna Taylor's death.

Kelly Hannah Goodlett entered her plea before a judge in the western district of Kentucky Tuesday afternoon.

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Louisville police chief terminates cop facing federal charges in Breonna Taylor case

BY Chris Hughes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville Metro Police Chief Erika Shields is firing Kyle Meany after a pre-termination meeting she had with him Friday. Meany, one of the four Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officers charged by the U.S. Department of Justice in a probe of Breonna Taylor’s death.

Shields announced the termination in a statement provided to Spectrum News, citing the federal charges Meany faces as grounds for termination.

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LMPD chief moves to fire cop facing federal charges in Breonna Taylor case

BY Bryce Shreve

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville Metro Police Chief Erika Shields on Monday sent a termination notice to Sgt. Kyle Meany, one of the four LMPD officers charged by the U.S. Department of Justice in a probe of Breonna Taylor's death.

Shields notified Meany, 35, of her intent to fire him in a pretermination letter provided to Spectrum News. In it, Shields cites his federal charges as grounds to fire him.

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Feds charge 4 current, former Louisville police officers in Breonna Taylor probe

BY Bryce Shreve and Deborah Harbsmeier
UPDATED 5:57 PM ET Aug. 04, 2022

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — "Breonna Taylor should be alive today," Attorney General Merrick Garland said on Thursday as the U.S. Justice Department announced civil rights charges against four Louisville police officers for their involvement in the drug raid that led to the death of Taylor, a Black woman whose fatal shooting contributed to the racial justice protests that rocked the U.S. in the spring and summer of 2020.

The charges represent another effort to hold law enforcement accountable for the killing of the 26-year-old medical worker after one of the officers was acquitted of state charges earlier this year.

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Brett Hankison found not guilty

BY Sydney Randall and Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Jurors in Brett Hankison's trial have found him not guilty of three counts of wanton endangerment. Hankison is the only officer charged in the raid that killed Breonna Taylor. The case went to a jury on Thursday after a prosecutor said he couldn’t have seen a shooter before firing wildly into her apartment and endangering her next-door neighbors.

Brett Hankison faced the charges for firing shots during the raid that went through Taylor’s side door and window and into the the next-door apartment where a couple and small child lived.

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'She didn't need to die': Fired cop says he did nothing wrong in Breonna Taylor raid

BY Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Former Louisville detective Brett Hankison testified in his own defense Wednesday about his actions during the police raid that left Breonna Taylor dead, saying the gunfire began with a muzzle flash that illuminated a shadowy silhouette, and he thought it was someone firing an automatic rifle at his fellow officers.

Hankison is not on trial for the 26-year-old Black woman’s death but for firing bullets that went into an adjacent apartment, endangering a pregnant neighbor, her young child and her boyfriend.

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Police Instructor: Hankison trained to isolate target

BY Ashley Brown and Associated Press
UPDATED 7:17 PM ET Mar. 01, 2022

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A police firearms instructor said Louisville officers are trained to identify a target before firing weapons in a threatening situation as testimony continued in the trial of a former officer charged in the raid that left Breonna Taylor dead.



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Jurors visit Breonna Taylor’s apartment to view evidence

BY Ashley N. Brown

Jurors have seen pictures and watched videos from the scene of the raid throughout the trial. On Friday, they took a trip to the apartment complex where the raid happened to view evidence in person.

A detective from the attorney general’s office directed the jury through both Taylor’s apartment and the apartments investigators say Hankison’s bullets traveled in.

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Hankison trial: Ex-officer in Breonna Taylor raid said he saw AR-15 fire

BY Ashley N. Brown and Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Brett Hankison said he believed the Louisville officers who raided Breonna Taylor’s apartment were taking fire from an AR-15 rifle, which he said prompted him to fire 10 shots into her apartment.

Hankison said as much to investigators about two weeks after his fellow officers fatally shot Taylor during a nighttime raid of the Black woman’s apartment. A recording of the interview was played at Hankison’s wanton endangerment trial in Louisville on Thursday.

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Ex-officer charged in Breonna Taylor raid begins trial

BY Ashley Brown and Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Nearly two years after Breonna Taylor’s shooting death by police, the only Kentucky officer facing criminal charges in the botched raid went on trial Wednesday for shooting into Taylor’s neighbor’s apartment.

Brett Hankison, now a former officer, fired 10 shots near a side door during the raid, but none hit Taylor. Prosecutors say the bullets endangered Taylor's neighbors — a couple and their child. Hankison is charged with three counts of wanton endangerment, a low-level felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

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Jury to be finalized in Breonna Taylor-related shooting case

BY Ashley Brown and Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Lawyers in the trial of a former Kentucky police officer involved in the deadly narcotics raid that left Breonna Taylor dead returned to court Tuesday to finish an extended jury selection process.



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EXPLAINER: How are jurors chosen in the Breonna Taylor case?

BY Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Jury selection began this week for the trial of a former Kentucky police officer who took part in a botched raid that left Breonna Taylor dead. Brett Hankison is charged with three counts of wanton endangerment for allegedly firing wildly into the apartments of Taylor's neighbors.



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Ex-LMPD officer who struck kneeling protester gets 2 year sentence

BY Associated Press and Bryce Shreve

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A former Louisville Metro police officer has been sentenced in federal court to two years in prison for striking a kneeling protester in the back of the head with a riot stick during protests over the death of Breonna Taylor, authorities said.

U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings handed down the sentence Tuesday for Cory P. Evans, 34, who will also have two years of supervised release, a statement from the Justice Department said.

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Jury selection starts in lone trial over Breonna Taylor raid

BY Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The only criminal trial to arise from the botched police raid that left Breonna Taylor dead began on Friday, as hundreds of potential jurors gathered at a Louisville courthouse in what activists see as a chance for some measure of justice.

The former Louisville officer facing trial, Brett Hankison, was not charged in Taylor’s shooting death but is standing trial on three lower-level felony charges for allegedly firing his service weapon wildly into Taylor’s neighbors’ apartments during the March 13, 2020, raid.

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Augmented reality app preserves memory of Breonna Taylor

BY Brandon Roberts
UPDATED 3:00 PM ET Jan. 21, 2022

LEXINGTON, Ky. — An app created to honor Breonna Taylor aims to keep the memory alive of the young woman killed by Louisville police in a late-night raid of her apartment on March 13, 2020.

The “Breonna’s Garden” app allows users to see her in augmented reality as if she were still alive. The song “Everything” by Mary J. Blige plays in the app, which Taylor planned to play at her wedding to boyfriend Kenny Walker.

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Myles Cosgrove loses appeal, won't get his job back at LMPD

BY Joe Ragusa

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Louisville Metro Police Merit Board upheld the firing of Myles Cosgrove over his role in Breonna Taylor’s death.

The panel voted to reject Cosgrove’s appeal by a 5-2 vote following four days worth of hearings spread over two months. The final two days of testimony wrapped up Wednesday.

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Officer who shot Breonna Taylor testifies before police board

BY Joe Ragusa

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Myles Cosgrove, the former Louisville Metro Police Department detective who was part of the deadly shooting of Breonna Taylor, spoke publicly about the incident while testifying in front of the Louisville Metro Police Merit Board Tuesday.

“I’ve had to relocate. I’ve had to take my kids out of school. We receive death threats to this day,” he said. “We get hate mail. My kids were stalked. My (police) department disowned me.”

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Former LMPD detective who fatally shot Breonna Taylor wants his job back

BY Bryce Shreve

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Next month, the former Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) detective who fired the shot that killed Breonna Taylor in her apartment last year will make his case as to why he should get his job back.

Myles Cosgrove, who was fired from LMPD in Jan., is trying to get his job back. He'll appear at five Louisville Metro Police Merit Board hearings in Nov. and Dec. to make his case, officials with Louisville Metro confirmed to Spectrum News 1.

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Drug suspect police linked to Breonna Taylor enters plea

BY Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A convicted drug dealer who was a target of the police raids that brought officers to Breonna Taylor's home has been offered probation for a long list of drug crimes.

Louisville police secured a slew of no-knock warrants on the night of March 13, 2020, aimed at breaking up a drug-dealing operation involving Jamarcus Glover. One of the five warrants sent police to the home of Taylor, Glover's former girlfriend.

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Thrive Causemetics donates $100,000 towards Breonna Taylor Memorial Scholarship

BY Erin Wilson

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The city of Louisville has honored Breonna Taylor with memorials, protests and even art exhibits. Now one cosmetics business is giving back to honor Taylor's aspirations of becoming a nurse and hoping others will be inspired to do the same.

In honor of Breonna Taylor, Thrive Causemetics Inc. donated $100,000 to the University of Louisville as they launched the Breonna Taylor Memorial Endowment. The Breonna Taylor Memorial Scholarship fund will support students hoping to pursue a career in nursing, like junior Ameerah Abdulnur.

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Judge cuts bond in half for former LMPD detective Brett Hankison

BY Haeli Spears

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A judge has reduced former Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) detective Brett Hankison's bond to $7,500, previously $15,000. Hankison is the only officer involved in the raid on Breonna Taylor's apartment to face charges. They are not directly tied to her death.

Hankison faces three counts of wanton endangerment stemming from the shots investigators said he fired blindly into a neighboring apartment during the raid on Taylor's home last year.

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Former LMPD detective Joshua Jaynes sues to get job back

BY Erin Kelly and Haeli Spears

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Former Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) detective Joshua Jaynes is suing the LMPD Police Merit Board to get his job back. Jaynes was fired in Jan. and accused of lying on a search warrant that was used to justify the raid on Breonna Taylor's home, ultimately leading to her death. The board unanimously upheld Jaynes' termination in June.

The lawsuit states the board's findings and orders "included false facts and erroneous facts which resulted in an arbitrary decision not supported by facts."

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AG Cameron: Breonna Taylor grand jury 'ultimately decided' charges

BY Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky attorney general who investigated the Breonna Taylor case continues to insist the decision not to charge any police officers in her death was “ultimately” in the grand jury’s hands, though some jurors have complained they were limited in what crimes they could consider.

Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, speaking to The Associated Press on Thursday, faced months of blistering criticism for his handling of the case. He said he hopes people recognize that his role was to “look at the facts as they are, and not how a particular narrative is being driven by particular people.”

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LMPD board upholds termination of Joshua Jaynes for lying on Breonna Taylor warrant

BY Erin Kelly
UPDATED 8:23 PM ET Jun. 30, 2021

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — After a hearing lasting three days to appeal his termination, the Louisville Police Merit Board voted unanimously to uphold the termination of former LMPD detective Joshua Jaynes. Jaynes was fired and accused of lying on a search warrant that was used to justify a raid on Breonna Taylor's home, ultimately leading to her death.

"I move that the board uphold the decision of the chief of police to terminate Joshua Jaynes," one board member said upon reaching their decision.

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Jonathan Mattingly, LMPD officer shot during Breonna Taylor raid, plans to retire

BY Bryce Shreve
UPDATED 11:08 AM ET Apr. 29, 2021

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly is the only officer involved in the no-knock raid that killed Breonna Taylor still employed by the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD), but he plans on retiring soon.

Officer Beth Ruoff confirmed in an email that Mattingly's planned retirement is set for June 1, but she added that the date is preliminary.

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Justice Department’s LMPD investigation follows Ferguson, Baltimore, Chicago probes

BY Ashleigh Mills

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) probe of Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) isn’t exactly unique. There have been investigations into possible patterns of civil rights violations in Ferguson, Baltimore and Chicago to name a few.

On Monday, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the investigation of LMPD.

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Department of Justice investigates Louisville Police Department

BY Adam K. Raymond and Spectrum News Staff
UPDATED 6:10 AM ET Apr. 27, 2021

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Monday that the Department of Justice has launched a civil investigation into the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) to "determine whether LMPD engages in a pattern or practice of violations of the constitution or federal law."

Garland said the investigation will look into whether LMPD has a pattern of using "unreasonable force," whether it engages in "unconstitutional stops, searches and seizures," whether it "unlawfully executes search warrants on private homes," and whether it discriminates based on race or disability.

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Former LMPD officer's trial pushed back, set to start in 2022

BY Michael Cadigan

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Former LMPD Detective Brett Hankison appeared in court Friday morning for a hearing where he learned his trial wouldn't be held until 2022.

In the same week Derek Chauvin’s verdict was issued, Brett Hankison appeared in Jefferson County Court for a pretrial hearing. During the hearing, Judge Ann Bailey Smith cited COVID-19 precautions would make an August start date too difficult.

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Publisher moves forward with book by LMPD cop wounded in Breonna Taylor raid after distributor pulls out

BY Associated Press and Bryce Shreve

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The publisher of memoir by a Louisville police officer who fired at Breonna Taylor after being shot during the deadly raid on Taylor’s apartment said it will release the book even though its distributor, Simon & Schuster, announced it would “not be involved.”

Post Hill Press, based outside of Nashville, Tennessee, has scheduled a fall release for Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly’s “The Fight For Truth: The Inside Story Behind the Breonna Taylor Tragedy.”

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No-knock warrants bill signed into law

BY Erin Kelly

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear has signed a bill into law that restricts no-knock warrants in Kentucky.

Tamika Palmer, the mother of Breonna Taylor, stood behind the governor Friday at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage.

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Judge Rules Hankison's Trial Will Proceed in Jefferson County

BY Michael Cadigan

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A judge decided that former LMPD officer Brett Hankison’s trial will take place in Jefferson County, despite the efforts of Hankison's legal team to change the venue.

Hankison faces three counts of wanton endangerment stemming from the shots investigators said he fired blindly into a neighboring apartment during the raid on Breonna Taylor’s home in March of last year.

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Change of Venue Hearing Set for Fired LMPD Officer Brett Hankison

BY Amber Smith
UPDATED 6:08 AM ET Mar. 25, 2021

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Fired LMPD officer Brett Hankison wants his trial to take place outside of Jefferson County. Hankison faces three counts of wanton endangerment stemming from the three shots investigators say he fired blindly into a neighboring apartment during the raid on Breonna Taylor’s home in March last year.

Hankison’s lawyer, Stew Matthews, told Spectrum News 1 he does not think they could find an unbiased jury in Jefferson County because of the publicity around Breonna Taylor’s death.

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A Look At What Speakers Said Saturday Demanding Justice For Breonna Taylor

BY Eileen Street

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Hundreds gathered at Jefferson Square Park in Louisville on Saturday to continue demanding justice for Breonna Taylor on the one year anniversary, March 13, that she was fatally shot by Louisville police last year.

“She was like my best friend. She was like my sister. We grew up in the same house together since we was young,” said Damian Smith, who asked his name be changed for privacy because he is Breonna Taylor’s cousin. The 29-year-old traveled with family from Grand Rapids, Mich. to be there for the a day that included multiple speakers and a march.

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Hundreds Rally in Louisville One Year After Breonna Taylor's Death

BY Adam K. Raymond
UPDATED 9:15 PM ET Mar. 13, 2021

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Several hundred people gathered in downtown Louisville Saturday to mark the one-year anniversary of Breonna Taylor’s killing at the hands of Louisville police. Members of Taylor’s family, along with local and national activists, honored the memory of the 26-year-old former EMT and continued to call for the arrest and prosecution of the police officers involved in her death.

“We pray that every officer and every elected official that had anything to do with the murder of Breonna Taylor would be arrested, convicted, and put in prison, as soon as you would deem,” Pastor Timothy Findley said in an opening prayer to the crowd, which spilled on to the streets surrounding Jefferson Square Park, dubbed "Injustice Square Park" by regular protesters.

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March Toward Racial Equity: Remembering Breonna Taylor

BY Brandon Roberts , Khyati Patel , Mario Anderson , Ashleigh Mills and Adam K. Raymond
UPDATED 7:56 PM ET Mar. 13, 2021

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville became the epicenter of claims of racial injustice in law enforcement on March 13, 2020, when 26-year-old Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by police officers serving a no-knock warrant at her home.

Hundreds of thousands of marchers protested in Louisville during the summer months. Curfews were set, people were injured and arrested. Celebrities and athletes joined the calls for the officers to be arrested as Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and a grand jury took center stage in the aftermath.

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One Year Later, Breonna Taylor's Family Calls for Justice to be Served

BY Brennon Gurley
UPDATED 7:47 PM ET Mar. 11, 2021

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It’s been almost one year since the deadly police raid that claimed the life of Breonna Taylor.

363 days have passed since 26-year-old Breonna Taylor was shot and killed at the hands of the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD). Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were in their bed when police executed a no-knock search warrant, the facts of which were allegedly falsified by Detective Joshua Jaynes.

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Judge Ends Shooting Case Against Breonna Taylor’s Boyfriend, Kenneth Walker

BY Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A judge in Kentucky has signed an order permanently closing a criminal case against Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend, who shot a police officer during the deadly raid that killed Taylor.

Prosecutors dismissed an attempted murder of a police officer charge against Kenneth L. Walker in May, about two months after Taylor’s death. But prosecutors left open the opportunity to revisit the charge against Walker if new evidence surfaced.

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Supporters of "Breonna's Law" Caravan To Capitol Steps

BY David Guildford

FRANKFORT, Ky. — A woman wearing a "Breonna Taylor" face mask walked up the first few steps in front of the Kentucky State Capitol early Tuesday evening.

She raised a sequin-covered bullhorn to her mouth and looked below at a crowd of a few dozen who had just parked their cars in the street and gotten out.

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Senate Unanimously Passes Bill To Limit No-Knock Warrants in Kentucky

BY Joe Ragusa
UPDATED 1:51 PM ET Feb. 26, 2021

FRANKFORT, Ky. — A bill to significantly limit when no-knock warrants can be issued cleared the Kentucky Senate unanimously on Thursday.

Following the death of Breonna Taylor in Louisville after the execution of a no-knock warrant last year, many criminal justice reform advocates called for a ban on such warrants.

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New Exhibit at Speed Art Museum To Honor Life of Breonna Taylor

BY Haeli Spears

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Speed Art Museum announced its next exhibition, titled "Promise, Witness, Remembrance," will reflect on the life of Breonna Taylor, her death last year, and the protests which gripped Louisville over the summer. The exhibit will open to the public on Wednesday, April 7, and run through June 6, 2021.

"The exhibition explores the dualities between a personal, local story and the nation's reflection on the promise, witness, and remembrance of too many Black lives lost to gun violence," said a release from the museum.

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Impeachment Petition Filed Against Ky. Attorney General Daniel Cameron

BY Bryce Shreve and Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky. — A petition seeking the impeachment of Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R) was filed Friday by three grand jurors who criticized his handling of an investigation into Breonna Taylor’s shooting death by police on March 13, 2020.

Petitioners allege Cameron breached public trust and failed to comply with his duties as the state’s chief law enforcement official. They do not accuse him of any crimes, but impeachment is not considered a criminal proceeding.

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Brett Hankison Trial to Begin in August

BY Haeli Spears

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The trial date for former Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) Detective Brett Hankison has been set for Aug. 21, 2021. Hankison is the only officer involved in the death of Breonna Taylor to face charges.

Hankison is charged with three counts of wanton endangerment, none of which are directly tied to Taylor's death. Rather, they stem from bullets that entered a neighboring apartment.

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Two LMPD Officers Involved in Breonna Taylor Investigation Officially Fired

BY Haeli Spears
UPDATED 2:35 PM ET Jan. 06, 2021

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officers involved in the investigation that led to Breonna Taylor’s death have officially been fired. Mayor Greg Fischer confirmed their termination during the announcement that Erika Shields would serve as LMPD’s next police chief.

Last week, detectives Joshua Jaynes and Myles Cosgrove received pre-termination letters.

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Former Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields to Lead LMPD

BY Deborah Harbsmeier
UPDATED 10:14 AM ET Jan. 06, 2021

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Former Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields will serve as Louisville Metro Police Department's next permanent police chief, Mayor Greg Fischer announced Wednesday morning. She will assume the position Jan. 19.

Over the summer, Shields resigned from her position in Atlanta after an officer shot and killed 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks, leading to protests in the city.

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Officer Accused of Lying on Taylor Warrant Should Not Be Disciplined, Lawyer Says

BY Adam K. Raymond
UPDATED 5:24 PM ET Dec. 30, 2020

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A lawyer for Detective Joshua Jaynes, who is accused of lying on the search warrant used to enter Breonna Taylor’s apartment, told Spectrum News 1 Wednesday that his client did “nothing wrong” and “does not deserve any kind of discipline, let alone a termination.”

The comments come in response to a pre-termination letter sent by interim police chief Yvette Gentry, who wrote that she intends to fire Jaynes from the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD).

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Officials Respond to Termination Letters Received By Officers Involved in Breonna Taylor Investigation

BY Haeli Spears and Associated Press
UPDATED 11:18 AM ET Dec. 30, 2020

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Local officials are responding to notice of termination letters received by officers involved in the investigation that led to Breonna Taylor's death.

The Louisville Metro Police Department on Tuesday issued a termination letter to Detective Joshua Jaynes, saying he violated two department standards when he lied on a search warrant used to raid Taylor's apartment.

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Two Officers Involved in Breonna Taylor Investigation Receive Termination Letters

BY Haeli Spears
UPDATED 11:20 AM ET Dec. 30, 2020

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two officers involved in the investigation that led to Breonna Taylor's death are set to be fired.

The Louisville Metro Police Department on Tuesday issued a termination letter to Detective Joshua Jaynes, saying he violated two department standards when he lied on a search warrant used to raid Taylor's apartment.

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Kentucky Board Won't Appoint New Special Prosecutor in Breonna Taylor Case

BY Adam K. Raymond

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A request by Breonna Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, for the appointment of a new prosecutor in her daughter’s case was denied Friday by the Kentucky Prosecutors Advisory Council (PAC), which said that it doesn’t have the authority to make such an appointment.

“The attorney general is the chief law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the Prosecutors Advisory Council's duties and responsibilities as authorized under Kentucky law simply do not allow for the Prosecutors Advisory Council to usurp the authority of the attorney general,” Christopher T. Cohron, the Commonwealth's Attorney for the Eighth Judicial Circuit and a member of the council, said at Friday’s meeting. “Quite simply put we do no have the legal authority to fulfill the request that has been submitted.”

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Executive Order Signed by Mayor Fischer Declares Racism a Public Health Crisis

BY Haeli Spears
UPDATED 5:26 PM ET Dec. 01, 2020

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A new Executive Order signed by Mayor Greg Fischer declares racism a public health crisis in Louisville.

Fischer signed the order Tuesday, outlining the societal, economic, physical, and mental health impacts of racism on Black Louisville residents and the city as a whole.

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Breonna Taylor Grand Jurors Say They Felt Other Charges Could Have Been Pursued

BY Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky man who served on the Breonna Taylor grand jury said he felt police actions on the night of her death were “criminal” but grand jurors were not given the chance to explore charges related to her shooting death by officers.

Two grand jurors, one a white man and the other an African American man, have spoken out about the grand jury proceedings through statements but have remained anonymous.

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AG's Office Asks Court to Seal Discovery for Hankison's Trial

BY Spectrum News Staff

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — During former Louisville Metro Police Department Detective Brett Hankison's pre-trial conference Wednesday morning, Judge Ann Bailey Smith heard arguments about whether or not the court should reverse its order to place discovery for the case into the court file.

Ahead of Wednesday's conference, the Attorney General's Office, along with Hankison's attorney Stewart Matthews, asked the court to reconsider its decision and instead keep the discovery sealed. The Courier-Journal, represented by attorney Michael Abate, motioned to intervene.

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Grand Juror From Breonna Taylor Case Can Speak Out About Case

BY Spectrum News Staff
UPDATED 5:56 PM ET Oct. 20, 2020

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A judge has ruled that the anonymous grand juror from the Breonna Taylor case may speak publicly about the grand jury proceedings.

"As applied in this case, this Court finds that the traditional justifications for secrecy in this matter are no longer relevant and that the ends of justice require disclosure," wrote Judge Annie O'Connell in the order.

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Justice For Breonna Taylor Has Led Protesters To Feel A Sense Of Community

BY Eileen Street

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Sunday marked 137 days of protests in Louisville, and rain or shine, a dozen people to over 1,000 marching, peaceful to chaotic, someone has always been at Jefferson Square Park protesting for justice for Breonna Taylor, and along the way, a community has been created.

When the protests started in late May, Denorver Garrett used to drive from Cincinnati to participate. He can easily be spotted during a march because he carries a giant wooden cross, but when Garrett isn’t protesting, he has a hair trimmer in his hands.

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More Accounts of What Happened at Breonna Taylor's Apartment from Police Files

BY Ashleigh Mills

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — There are many hours of video of officers giving accounts of what happened in the early morning hours of March 13 at Breonna Taylor's home, revealed in the release of Louisville Metro Police Department's (LMPD) Public Integrity Unit (PIU) file. Spectrum News 1 began going through and sharing information earlier this week. Included in the recordings is an interview with Detective Joshua Jaynes, the first time hearing from the officer who secured the search warrant for Taylor's apartment.

"These are our warrants. I mean, we all had a hand in this," Jaynes is heard telling investigators.

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Harvard Economist Argues Breonna Taylor is a Victim of America's Failed War on Drugs

BY Eva McKend

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As Breonna Taylor's family and demonstrators continue to demand more transparency surrounding the events that led to her death, Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron questions why law enforcement across the country are instructed to take on complicated drug investigations in the first place.

Taylor was fatally shot by Louisville police in March during the execution of a no-knock warrant. No drugs were found in Taylor's apartment.

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Daniel Cameron Asks Court to Keep Grand Juror from Speaking

BY Adam K. Raymond
UPDATED 6:10 PM ET Oct. 07, 2020

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Attorney General Daniel Cameron has asked a court to keep an anonymous grand juror who heard evidence in the Breonna Taylor investigation from speaking publicly about the proceedings.

“As I’ve stated prior, I have no concerns with a grand juror sharing their thoughts or opinions about me and my office’s involvement in the matter involving the death of Ms. Breonna Taylor,” Cameron said in a statement. “However, I have concerns with a grand juror seeking to make anonymous and unlimited disclosures about the grand jury proceedings."

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Dozen of Videos, Interview Transcripts Released from LMPD Taylor Investigation

BY Ashleigh Mills and Spectrum News Staff
UPDATED 10:30 PM ET Oct. 07, 2020

LOUISIVLLE, Ky. — The Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) released its Public Integrity Unit's (PIU) investigative files on the Breonna Taylor case Wednesday, according to Mayor Greg Fischer.

"Following the decision of the Grand Jury announced by Attorney General Daniel Cameron, it was important to release the PIU files as quickly as possible to the public, after making necessary redactions," Fischer said. "Much of the information in these files was included in records from the Grand Jury proceedings that were released last week."

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Felony Rioting Charges Dropped Against Rep. Attica Scott, Others

BY Spectrum News Staff

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County Attorney Mike O'Connell is dismissing the felony riot charges against 18 people, including state Rep. Attica Scott, from protests on the night of Sept. 24.

Scott, who represents Louisville, was charged with failure to disperse, unlawful assembly and riot in the first degree, a felony.

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Mayor Fischer Rescinds State of Emergency, Lifts Traffic Restrictions

BY Spectrum News Staff

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Mayor Greg Fischer, through an executive order, has rescinded the State of Emergency he enacted in late September. The State of Emergency came as the city prepared for a decision in the Breonna Taylor case.

Through the same order, Fischer also announced the remaining barricades on Fifth, Sixth, Jefferson, and Liberty streets will be removed and parking restrictions in downtown Louisville will be lifted.

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Kentucky Alliance Calls for Special Prosecutor to Re-open Breonna Taylor Case

BY Eileen Street

The demands for the appointment of a special prosecutor come over a week after the attorney general’s office announced the grand jury charged only former Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officer Brett Hankison with three counts of wanton endangerment in the first degree. There were no charges directly related to Taylor’s death.

On Friday, the attorney general's office released about 15 hours of recordings from the grand jury following a judge's order. Harrison claims the recordings show the case presented to the grand jury was biased.

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Breonna Taylor Case: The Most Anticipated Tape Release in Louisville

BY Adam K. Raymond

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Roughly 15 hours of recorded grand jury proceedings in the Breonna Taylor investigation were made public Friday, giving the public a rare look at a typically secretive process and revealing new information about how Attorney General Daniel Cameron conducted his probe into the 26-year-old's March 13 killing.

The recordings cover proceedings conducted on Sept. 23-25. On the final day, the grand jury announced that one of the three officers involved in Taylor’s shooting — now-former Louisville Detective Brett Hankison — would be charged, and only for shots he fired into a neighboring apartment. That decision touched off several days of tense protests in Louisville.

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Listen Now: Grand Jury Recordings From Breonna Taylor Case

BY Spectrum News Staff
UPDATED 5:22 PM ET Oct. 02, 2020

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Spectrum News 1 has received the grand jury recordings from the Breonna Taylor case after a judge ordered Attorney General Daniel Cameron to release them. We are listening to and breaking down the approximately 15 hours of recordings submitted to Judge Ann Bailey Smith Friday. We are providing highlights from each day of testimony. Read about them below.

You can listen to the recordings here:

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"Not Just A Name:" Breonna Taylor's Teachers Remember Her

BY David Guildford

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Breonna Taylor’s name has echoed in cities around the world. But her tragedy is only part of her story.

Thursday, four Western High School teachers recalled Taylor's time at the school in detail and even showed reporters where she sat in social studies class.

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