LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Ahead of the anticipated release of the U.S. Department of Justice’s investigation into Louisville Metro Police Department's policing practices, Republican mayoral candidate Bill Dieruf accused Mayor Greg Fischer of stonewalling the release of the report to help his opponent, Democrat Craig Greenberg.

What You Need To Know

  • The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the Louisville Metro Police Department

  • The DOJ investigation started more than a year after the death of Breonna Taylor and is looking at whether LMPD uses excessive force or illegal searches

  • Mayor Greg Fischer said he anticipates the report coming out in the coming weeks

  • Republican mayor candidate Bill Dieruf accused Fischer of planning to withhold the report’s findings to help Dieruf’s opponent, Craig Greenberg

“What’s happening here is unfair,” he said. “All people of Louisville, from the rank and file of the LMPD to those who protested against injustice, have a right to know these findings in regard to the long-term, systemic political mismanagement of LMPD and Louisville Metro Government.”

Fischer spoke about the potential report last week, highlighting several steps the city has taken ahead of the DOJ report’s recommendations, but Dieruf said that was just to get ahead of a report that will criticize his leadership, along with the leadership of LMPD Chief Erika Shields.

“They know this report from the Department of Justice will be a damning indictment of their leadership and that of their predecessors,” Dieruf said.

Dieruf said his opponent in the race for mayor, Craig Greenberg, is exactly like Fischer.  

“Nothing changes if nothing ever changes,” he said.

Spectrum News 1 reached out to a spokesman for Greenberg’s campaign seeking a response, but as of the publication of this article, he has not responded directly to Dieruf’s statements. Greenberg plans on holding a press conference to discuss his plans for the mayor’s office on Wednesday.

No one knows what’s actually in the report yet, or whether it’ll come down harder on Fischer or the department itself for its policing tactics.

“Now you do have officers that should go find other occupations, I agree, like all occupations, there’s people that need to move on,” Dieruf said. “But for the most part, what the DOJ will probably come out with — and I have not read the report. Greenberg maybe has some idea of what it is, but I have not read the report — but what they will come out and say is the leadership is what has moved the city, for decades, in the wrong direction.”

What happens next could be tricky for Louisville’s next mayor: Fischer and the DOJ could negotiate a federal consent decree, meaning mandatory changes would already be underway whenever the new mayor takes office in January.

“You have to,” Dieruf said when asked if he would abide by a consent decree. “I mean, that’s a law. I would follow the law. I would not tell my officers to not follow the law.”