In an exclusive interview with Gayle King on “CBS This Morning,” Walker spoke about what happened on March 13.
Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker says he is “a million percent sure” cops never announced themselves when they entered their Louisville, Kentucky, apartment on March 13. Walker also stated that had he not lived, the world might not have known about the case and what happened to the 26-year-old EMT who died inside her apartment due to gunfire.
In an exclusive interview with Gayle King on “CBS This Morning,” Walker spoke about what happened on March 13 and said it was just a regular night for him and Taylor. The two were watching a movie in bed when they heard a loud knock on the door. He says they both asked who was there and no one replied.
"I'm a million percent sure that nobody identified themselves," he told King. "If they had knocked on the door and say who it was, we could hear them. It was dead silent."
He said he was feeling "deathly afraid," Walker said they got up to put on clothes amid heavy knocking to look "decent to answer the door." Walker, a licensed gun owner, says he grabbed his firearm.
"If it was the police at the door and they just said, ‘We're the police,’ me or Breonna didn't have a reason at all not to open the door to see what they wanted," Walker said.
The door was knocked down and Walker says he believed the people entering were home invaders, so he fired a single shot. He then said fire was returned, and he pulled Taylor down to try and save her.
"I've never been to war. But I assume that's what war probably sounds like," he recalled.
Three officers combined fired 32 shots into the apartment, with "bullets coming in every direction," Walker said. Taylor was struck at least five times.
When the shooting stopped, Walker said he called his mom first who he says told him to call 911. He then called 911, and the emotional recording was played on “CBS This Morning.” In it, Walker said he didn’t know who was in the apartment and that his girlfriend was unresponsive.
He told King that if he knew it was the police in the apartment he would not have called 911, saying, “That doesn't even make sense.”
He said he hung up with 911 and called Taylor’s mom, Tamika Palmer.
"I don't think I realized that it was the police until I was on the phone with Breonna's mom," Walker said. "I thought they was, you know, coming for help, because I called 911."
Walker said he was then taken out of the apartment without shoes and was handcuffed and dogs were barking around him. He says an officer asked him if he was hit with any bullets. When he said no, the officer replied "That's unfortunate."
"I didn't know what to think, and I really wasn't worried about me," he told King. "Only reason I'm even out here is because only way for her to get help in there is for me to be out here."
Body cam footage released by the LMPD the night of the incident shows a cop telling Walker to “walk” as he got into a patrol car. Walker said the patrol car pulled off in a “random parking lot” near the apartment complex and a plain clothes cop came up to the vehicle to tell Walker that there was “miscommunication." Walker says the cop asked if he needed water.
Walker said he was still confused and was brought to the police station where he says they took his handcuffs off and allowed him to walk freely around the station and use the bathroom.
"You don't allegedly shoot a police officer … and they take the handcuffs off," he said.
He said he didn’t learn of Taylor’s death until watching the news later in the day.
Walker says that had he been shot and killed on March 13 the world might not known what happened to Taylor.
“You probably wouldn't even know about it. If I didn't live, you probably wouldn't even know about Breonna Taylor," he said.
Walker said that Taylor "would have done anything for anybody,” adding, "she took care of a lot of people. So a lot of people, they need her bad right now, including me."
In a statement to Inside Edition Digital about Walker’s interview, Sgt. John Bradley of the LMPD says “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.
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 her boyfriend, Kenneth 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 September, a Kentucky grand jury chose 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. Former detective Brett Hankison was indicted on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, charges which stem from shooting into a neighboring apartment the night that Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, was shot in her home.
Hankison was booked and released on $15,000 bond, according to reports. He has plead not guilty. His attorney has not replied to Inside Edition Digital’s request for comment.
Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove, two other officers connected to the shooting, were not indicted, authorities announced. No one was charged directly in connection to Taylor's death.
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 have been reassigned.
RELATED STORIES
