Kentucky Governor Wants Feds To Investigate Breonna Taylor Shooting
The governor of Kentucky says state and federal investigators should become involved with the fatal police shooting case of Breonna Taylor, who was killed March 13, when Louisville cops opened fire during a botched raid.
In a statement posted to Twitter, Gov. Andy Beshear called the circumstances “troubling” and said Taylor’s family deserved the “full facts.”
The 26-year-old emergency medical technician was shot eight times when police came to her apartment after midnight searching for a drug suspect who other officers already had in custody. Police said they opened fire when her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker fired at them, however, a lawsuit filed April 27 says the officers entered the home with a knock and announce search warrant. The problem being they neither knocked nor identified themselves as law enforcement and instead started shooting when they entered.
The lawsuit contends that Walker fired in his own defense, believing his home was being entered by intruders. One officer was wounded and Walker was charged with first-degree assault and attempted murder.
Beshear’s statement comes as community outrage has grown over recent surge of police shootings including Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Georgia; Adrian Medearis in Houston; and Dreasjon “Sean” Reed in Indianapolis.
Democratic and Republican candidates for U.S. Senate in Kentucky are also calling for a probe of the shooting as well.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told the Louisville Courier-Journal that Taylor’s death should be “thoroughly and promptly investigated to find out what happened and to ensure justice is served. We all share in her family’s grief. I will continue to monitor the investigation."
His Democratic challenger, Charles Booker, a state legislator who represents Louisville, said Taylor lived not far from his family and lamented her death at the hands of police.