On the night of Taylor’s March 13 death, police had been authorized to carry out a “no-knock” warrant on her Louisville home as part of a narcotics investigation of a person who lived in a home 10 miles away.
In the second part of an exclusive interview with Gayle King on “CBS This Morning,” Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend Kenneth Walker spoke about his reaction to the Kentucky grand jury decision to indict one of the three officers involved in the fatal shooting of Taylor, but on criminal charges not directly connected to Taylor's death.
“There was kids in all those other apartments, too,” Walker said to King regarding the shots fired into nearby apartments by one of the officers who arrived at his and Taylor's home March 13. “I didn’t shoot through any walls with kids in there and I went to jail, immediately.’
Former Louisville Metro Police Detective Brett Hankison was indicted in September by a grand jury on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, charges that stem from shooting into a neighboring apartmen.
Hankison was booked and released on $15,000 bond, according to reports. He has pleaded not guilty. His attorney has not replied to Inside Edition Digital’s request for comment.
Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove, who were also at the scene, were not indicted, authorities announced.
In Thursday's interview with King, Walker was joined by his lawyers, Steven Romines and Frederick Moore, and discussed their pending lawsuit alleging police misconduct.
“There has to be a consequence and if [Attorney General] Daniel Cameron will not hold (them) responsible, we will in the civil case,” Romines said.
Inside Edition Digital reached out to the LMPD Thursday for comment on the pending lawsuit. Said Sgt. John Bradley, "We appreciate the opportunity to respond. It would be inappropriate to discuss this case until all investigations are completed. Once investigations are complete, we will be in a better position to discuss things."
Inside Edition Digital has reached out to the Louisville Metro Officers Union for comment and has not heard back.
“No amount of money can change the fact that she is gone and that is all I really care about,” Walker said when asked what he hopes to get out of the pending lawsuit against the city of Louisville and the LMPD. “I just want her name to live on. People ask me what they can do for me and I tell them, ‘say her name.’ That is what you can do for me.”
Moore and Walker have been friends since childhood. Moore explained that Walker is someone who “really does build his life on protecting others and comforting others. It sucks to see someone you have known their entire life hurting.”
Walker said he did not know it was the police who were in his apartment. Romines said “a dozen” neighbors did not hear any announcement that it was the police aside from one neighbor who said he did hear cops announce themselves after allegedly changing his initial statement that he did not hear them announce themselves. Romines also said that his client did not know who was shooting at him.
On the night of Taylor’s March 13 death, police had been authorized to carry out a “no-knock” warrant on her Louisville home as part of a narcotics investigation of a person who lived in a home 10 miles away.
Neither Taylor nor Walker were the investigation's target. Police had suspected, though, that Taylor’s home was used to receive drugs by her ex-boyfriend. Authorities said they identified themselves, despite the “no-knock” warrant.
Police said the officers were “immediately” met by gunfire when they entered Taylor and Walker's home, at which point they returned fire. Walker called 911 during the ordeal and he was informed he'd shot an officer. He was initially charged with attempted murder, but the charges were later dropped after he said he shot in self-defense, thinking he and Taylor were victims of a home invasion.
In September, Taylor’s estate reached a settlement in their wrongful death lawsuit with the city for $12 million in damages. The mayor also announced sweeping police reform would be a priority. Taylor’s death has been the subject of mass protests across the country for months.
In the wake of Taylor's death, the city has banned "no-knock" warrants.
In June, Officer Brett Hankison was fired from the Louisville Metro Police Department. He is currently contesting his termination with legal council. Officers Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove whose bullets hit Taylor have not been charged but were reassigned. Kentucky’s attorney general has stated that their use of force was justified because Walker fired first.
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