Felony Charges Dropped for 2 Ex-Louisville Officers in Breonna Taylor Raid
Two former detectives from the Louisville Metro Police Department, who were involved in obtaining the search warrant for the deadly raid on Breonna Taylor's home, avoided facing life sentences after a judge dropped the felony charges against them. However, the judge did not approve the motion to dismiss other charges.
On Thursday, August 22, U.S. District Court Judge Charles Simpson dropped charges against former detective Joshua Jaynes and Sergeant Kyle Meany. The two were federally charged in 2022 for allegedly submitting a false affidavit to obtain a search warrant for Taylor's home and then conspiring to create a false cover story to evade accountability, according to court documents.
On March 13, 2020, the 26-year-old emergency room technician was fatally shot in her apartment during a botched raid.
Judge Simpson determined that Kenneth Walker, Taylor's boyfriend, firing his gun when officers entered the home was "the legal cause of Taylor's death" rather than the warrantless entry itself. After Walker fired, believing the officers were intruders, the police returned fire, resulting in Taylor being shot multiple times.
The judge dismissed the felony charges against both men, which could have led to life sentences, stating that the "alleged facts do not align with the... felony offenses as defined."
With the removal of the language regarding using a dangerous weapon, the charge is now classified as a misdemeanor. As stated in court documents, this offense carries a penalty of either a fine, imprisonment for up to one year, or both.
