LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Louisville police sergeant who shot during the deadly raid at Breonna Taylor’s apartment has filed a lawsuit against her boyfriend claiming he is a victim of emotional distress.

What You Need To Know

  • Officer in Breonna Taylor case files lawsuit against her boyfriend

  • Jonathon Mattingly suit claims assault, battery, and emotional distress

  • This is a counterclaim to Walker's suit filed in September

Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly filed the counterclaim against Kenneth Walker Thursday alleging assault, battery, and emotional distress.

The civil suit claims Mattingly "experienced severe trauma, mental anguish, and emotional distress" because of Walker’s actions, when he fired a shot that night, hitting Mattingly in the leg. Mattingly is seeking a jury trial and damages.

The suit states Walker acted recklessly when he shot Mattingly and in the direction of officers serving a no-knock search warrant on March 13.

Believing this was a home invasion, Walker, who is licensed to carry a gun, says he feared for his life and grabbed his gun and fired, as he believed the apartment was being broken into.

The officers returned fire which ultimately killed Taylor. During the exchange, Mattingly was shot in the leg. 

In the lawsuit, Mattingly claims Walker’s conduct was “outrageous, intolerable, and offends all accepted standards of decency and morality.”

Walker’s attorney Frederick Moore called the lawsuit a distraction.

“Look, the law is on our side. We’re going to fight the case. I don’t want to get in the merits of what he claims is his emotional distress, but there’s a dead young woman and Kenny who witness it and who was shot at over 30 times and whose life has been changed forever. Those are the damages I want to talk about. I think it’s an intimidation tactic. It’s you’re going to sue me well what I’m going to do is I’m going to sue you, I’m going to put pressure on you,” explains Moore.

Mattingly’s Attorney, Kent Wicker, released the following statement in response to the counterclaim filed against Walker.

“Sgt. Mattingly was shot and nearly killed by Kenneth Walker. He’s entitled to, and should, use the legal process to seek a remedy for the injury that walker has caused him,” says Wicker.

Mattingly’s complaint is a countersuit in response to Walker’s lawsuit, which was filed in September, seeking compensation from the city and Louisville Metro Police Department.