Louisville Police Chief Fired After Protester Dies Following Shooting - Mayor

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 02nd June, 2020) A police chief of the US city of Louisville, Kentucky was fired after local law enforcement officers had fatally shot a person who had come under fire during protests against police brutality and racism, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said.

Overnight into Monday, local police and the National Guard officers started to disperse a huge crowd of protesters that gathered on a store parking in Louisville. Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) Chief Steve Conrad said that police officers had come under fire on the spot and opened fire in response. One person, barbecue restaurant owner David McAtee, was killed as a result of the shooting. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has instructed the authorities to hold a proper investigation into the incident.

"This type of institutional failure will not be tolerated. Accordingly, I have relieved Steve Conrad of his duties as chief of Louisville Metro Police Department," Fischer said.

In addition, the mayor announced that two LMPD officers who fired their weapons in this shooting had been placed on administrative leave because they either had failed to have their body cameras turned on or wear them which is a violation of police rules.

The protests in Kentucky come amid widespread nationwide unrest over the May 25 killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was strangled by a police officer while handcuffed and in custody.