Use Of Force By Officers In Breonna Taylor's Death Justified - State Attorney General

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2020) Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced on Wednesday that the fatal use of force by two police officers against Breonna Taylor, a 26-year old Black woman, was justified and no criminal charges will be filed against them.

"While there are six possible homicide charges under Kentucky law, these charges are not applicable to the facts before us because our investigation showed and the grand jury agreed that [officer Jonathan] Mattingly and [detective Myles] Cosgrove were justified in their return of deadly fire after having been fired upon by [Taylor's boyfriend] Kenneth Walker," Cameron said.

Cameron said this justification bars his office from pursuing criminal charges against the police officers in connection to Taylor's death.

Moreover, Cameron said evidence shows officers knocked and announced their presence at Taylor's apartment when serving their warrant. Cameron said the warrant was not served as a no-knock warrant as initially reported.

Cameron said Mattingly and Cosgrove were fired upon by Walker when they breached the apartment. Mattingly, who was shot in the leg by Walker, fired six shots and Cosgrove fired 16 shots, Cameron said.

A total of six bullets hit Taylor and, according to medical evidence, only one shot was fatal, Cameron said.

A US grand jury in Jefferson County, Kentucky, has indicted former police officer Brett Hankison with three counts of wanton endangerment in the first-degree after shots he fired during the police raid of Taylor's apartment went into an apartment next door and seriously endangered the three residents inside.

A warrant has been issued for Hankison's arrest and his bond will be set at $15,000. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Cameron said the FBI is continuing its investigation into potential violations under Federal law.

Taylor was killed when the police officers executed a drug search warrant and her boyfriend allegedly fired a first shot fearing the entrants were burglars. The shot prompted the four police officers to unleash a hail of bullets on the house, hitting Taylor six times.

The killing of the 26-year-old African American medical technician was initially overshadowed by the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic that began to sweep the country around the same time. Activists, celebrities and demonstrators have since made it a point to keep her name in the news cycle and call for justice over her death.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced last week that the city will pay $12 million to Taylor's family as part of a settlement for her death.