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Government demands defense keep some evidence secret in Breonna Taylor civil rights trials

By |2022-09-07T11:41:07-04:00September 7th, 2022|Breonna Taylor|

The government says it intends to turn over 65,000 records totaling more than 300,000 pages to defense counsel for the former Louisville police officers accused of violating Breonna Taylor’s civil rights. But because the documents include medical records, personal emails and text messages, and investigative reports that include discussion of “highly personal and sensitive subjects,” Justice Department lawyers are seeking a protective order restricting how the defense teams use and share the records. “Members of the defense team shall not make any public disclosure of the contents or disseminate the materials to anyone other than members of their own defense team, except that the materials may be” shown to expert witnesses, attached to pleadings filed with or used at trial, the proposed order says. It also requires the defense to return the discovery material when the case is over, and says the order will apply even after the defendants exhaust any appeals. An attorney for Joshua Jaynes, Thomas Clay, has filed an objection to the proposed order, saying many of the documents are already in the public record and that it conflicts with a Kentucky Bar Association ethics opinion that recommends attorneys keep client records for five years. The Justice Department says the rule does not apply to discovery – evidence the prosecution is required to surrender to defendants before trial. Michael Abate, one of The Courier Journal's attorneys, said the "breadth of this proposed order is surprising — and concerning — for multiple reasons," including that portions of the evidence are already a matter of public record.He also said the request is surprising because courts in the Western District generally disfavor broad protective orders regarding discovery at the outset of a case. And he said the order appears to require eventual return and destruction of all discovery information without regard to whether it may have been used at trial. "That seems a pretty significant overreach to require a party to return or destroy evidence presented in open court in their defense."The dispute is one of the first to arise in the cases of former detectives Jaynes, Sgt. Kyle Meany and Brett Hankison. Jaynes and Meany are charged with lying on an affidavit for the search of Taylor’s apartment, and Hankison is accused separately of violating the rights of Taylor, her boyfriend and three neighbors by firing indiscriminately into Taylor's apartment on March 13, 2020. A fourth former officer, Kelly Goodlett, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to get the warrant and is expected to testify against Jaynes and Meany. Goodlett resigned from Louisville Metro Police while the other three were fired.Taylor, 26, was killed after her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, thinking the couple was being robbed, fired one shot from the apartment that struck Detective Jonathan Mattingly in the leg; he and Detective Myles Cosgrove returned fire, fatally injuring Taylor. The indictments were announced Aug. 4 by Attorney General Merrick Garland, who said that if not for the violations of Taylor’s rights, she would still be alive today. Mattingly and Cosgrove were not charged. Meany, Jaynes and Hankison pleaded not guilty and were released pending trial. In another development, one of Meany’s lawyers, Michael Denbow, filed an unopposed motion to declare the case complex, meaning it won't be tried starting Oct. 11, as scheduled. Hankison’s trial, set for two days later, also likely will be delayed. Andrew Wolfson: 502-582-7189; [email protected]; Twitter: @adwolfson.

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Woman killed in car crash Saturday morning on I-65 identified

By |2022-08-27T12:26:48-04:00August 27th, 2022|Breonna Taylor|

A woman driving a vehicle died Saturday morning after crashing into another car with a trailer attached, Louisville Metro Police said.LMPD's traffic unit responded to a call about a collision at 7:15 a.m. on Interstate 65 South at Interstate 265, department spokesperson Dwight Mitchell said. He said LMPD's investigation found the woman who was killed lost control of her car while driving and struck a median wall before crashing into the rear end of a vehicle that was pulling a trailer.The woman who was driving the car was pronounced dead at the scene, Mitchell said. She was later identified by the Jefferson County Coroner's Office as 43-year-old Kimberly Neuner. She was the only person in the vehicle, Mitchell said.All lanes of I-65 South were briefly closed after the crash but reopened soon after, according to MetroSafe.More:Louisville Metro Corrections says it fired officer for offensive LMPD, Breonna Taylor videoMore:Louisville Metro Corrections staff investigating another death of person housed at jailReach Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez at [email protected]; follow her on Twitter at @SoyAnaAlvarez

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Louisville Metro Corrections says it fired officer for offensive LMPD, Breonna Taylor video

By |2022-08-27T11:34:51-04:00August 27th, 2022|Breonna Taylor|

Louisville Metro Corrections says it fired an officer this week who had filmed an offensive video at the Kentucky State Fair, according to representatives from the city and the jail.Turhan Knight, who had worked for Metro Corrections since 2018, is no longer employed by the jail as of Thursday, according to Louisville Metro Department of Corrections union president Daniel Johnson. The organization will not appeal his termination, Johnson said, and members are "glad to see the department take quick action to end his employment.""The video was absolutely horrible, and there is no place in uniform for anyone that would do something so insensitive," Johnson said Friday. "We believe the termination was absolutely justified and was the right decision.   Knight's views and opinions of LMPD does not reflect those of FOP Lodge 77."Knight, meanwhile, has said he had recently given notice that he planned to leave the department and said he was not served termination paperwork, as his time with Metro Corrections was already set to end around the time when the video became public.The video appeared to be filmed as a parody Louisville Metro Police recruitment pitch. Knight, the lone speaker on screen, is shown in uniform walking alongside LMPD vehicles at the fair while telling viewers the department is "trying to repair broken relationships" with the community."Be a part of a great, great police department," Knight says on screen at one point. "Never mind what happened, to Breonna Taylor – we killed that b----."Taylor was a 26-year-old Black woman shot and killed by LMPD officers serving a no-knock warrant at her apartment in March 2020. Her death led to a major protest movement in Louisville and across the nation. Four former police officials are facing federal charges over her killing, with former Officer Kelly Goodlett pleading guilty earlier this week to one count of conspiring to violate Taylor's civil rights, as Goodlett admitted to helping falsify an affidavit for the search of her apartment.In the video, Knight discusses the perks of working for LMPD, including unlimited time off and the ability to support a family."Do you want to kill people and be able to get off for it?" Knight asks in conclusion. "Join Louisville Metro Police Department and answer the call."In a social media exchange with a Courier Journal reporter Friday night, Knight said he was in the process of retaining a lawyer and had recently put in his two-weeks notice with Metro Corrections, with Friday scheduled to be his last day on the job. The video was a joke based on his feelings toward LMPD, he said, and how "some officers handled past situations."Knight said he was "deeply remorseful," though, and did not mean to offend Taylor or her family. He said he has close ties with the family of Kenneth Walker, Taylor's boyfriend who was with her at the time of the shooting, and that he regretted the video.In an additional statement sent Saturday morning, Knight again apologized to Taylor's family, as well as his own family and other law enforcement officials. He said he had not been fired but had informed the department he was planning to leave the job nearly three weeks earlier, and that he had not been served any termination paperwork as he had already been scheduled to leave the department by the end of the week."I should have received punishment I don’t deny that, but blatant lies told against me to look good for media purposes is just wrong," Knight wrote, noting he planned to have an attorney release additional information in the future. "... In closing I hope that I can be forgiven, I pray I will. I made a terrible decision, there aren’t enough apologies that I can give right now but I am deeply remorseful."More headlines:City orders demolition of historic bourbon warehouse in Irish Hill, citing 'imminent danger'In a statement sent Friday to The Courier Journal, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer described the video as "hideous." The former officer was "fired immediately upon learning of the video," his statement said."There is zero excuse for his insensitivity," Fischer's statement said. "He has brought great shame upon Metro Corrections and all of Louisville Metro Government. I deeply apologize to the family of Breonna Taylor and all of the hard working and ethical employees of Louisville Metro Government. One person will not tarnish the good work we attempt to do on behalf of our residents."A statement from Metro Corrections said the jail fired Knight on Thursday after confirming the video existed and viewing it."Director (Jerry) Collins was disgusted by the content of the video and moved as quickly as possible to terminate Knight," the statement said. "Knight's behavior is unacceptable and does not reflect the professionalism and spirit of service that we strive for at LMDC." This story may be updated.Reporter Krista Johnson contributed. Reach Lucas Aulbach at [email protected]

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Louisville Metro Corrections officer fired over offensive video about LMPD, Breonna Taylor

By |2022-08-26T19:41:20-04:00August 26th, 2022|Breonna Taylor|

A Louisville Metro Corrections officer was fired this week after filming an offensive video at the Kentucky State Fair, according to representatives from the city and the jail.Turhan Knight, who had worked for Metro Corrections since 2018, is no longer employed by the jail as of Thursday, according to Louisville Metro Department of Corrections union president Daniel Johnson. The organization will not appeal his termination, Johnson said, and members are "glad to see the department take quick action to end his employment.""The video was absolutely horrible, and there is no place in uniform for anyone that would do something so insensitive," Johnson said Friday. "We believe the termination was absolutely justified and was the right decision.   Knight's views and opinions of LMPD does not reflect those of FOP Lodge 77."Attempts to reach Knight over the phone and through social media Friday were not immediately successful.The video appeared to be filmed as a parody Louisville Metro Police recruitment pitch. Knight, the lone speaker on screen, is shown in uniform walking alongside LMPD vehicles at the fair while telling viewers the department is "trying to repair broken relationships" with the community."Be a part of a great, great police department," Knight says on screen at one point. "Never mind what happened, to Breonna Taylor – we killed that b----."Taylor was a 26-year-old Black woman shot and killed by LMPD officers serving a no-knock warrant at her apartment in March 2020. Her death led to a major protest movement in Louisville and across the nation. Four former police officials are facing federal charges over her killing, with former Officer Kelly Goodlett pleading guilty earlier this week to one count of conspiring to violate Taylor's civil rights, as Goodlett admitted to helping falsify an affidavit for the search of her apartment.In the video, Knight discusses the perks of working for LMPD, including unlimited time off and the ability to support a family."Do you want to kill people and be able to get off for it?" Knight asks in conclusion. "Join Louisville Metro Police Department and answer the call."More headlines:City orders demolition of historic bourbon warehouse in Irish Hill, citing 'imminent danger'In a statement sent Friday to The Courier Journal, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer described the video as "hideous." The former officer was "fired immediately upon learning of the video," his statement said."There is zero excuse for his insensitivity," Fischer's statement said. "He has brought great shame upon Metro Corrections and all of Louisville Metro Government. I deeply apologize to the family of Breonna Taylor and all of the hard working and ethical employees of Louisville Metro Government. One person will not tarnish the good work we attempt to do on behalf of our residents."Additional representatives from the jail were not immediately available for comment Friday evening.This story may be updated.Reach Lucas Aulbach at [email protected]

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Former Louisville police officer quits Jewish Community of Louisville job after backlash

By |2022-08-25T13:37:18-04:00August 25th, 2022|Breonna Taylor, David McAtee|

Former Louisville Metro Police Lt. Josh Judah resigned Wednesday from his position at the Jewish Community of Louisville after facing fierce opposition from members of the city's Jewish and Black communities, based on his leadership during the racial justice protests of 2020.Judah, who served with LMPD for 21 years before retiring, was announced as the Jewish Community of Louisville's regional security adviser in July, tasked with improving security measures for the city's Jewish community. In the announcement, the nonprofit touted Judah's lengthy law enforcement background but did not mention the two active lawsuits he is named in, nor that his reputation among the city's Black community was featured in a story by VICE.Members of the Jewish community had expressed surprise over his hiring in a July 24 email to the nonprofit's president, Sara Wagner, that was obtained by The Courier Journal. In the email, signed by 16 people, the members said there was little to no discussion before the announcement was made July 11. Moreso, Judah's hiring could "be perceived as disregarding the value of Black lives in Louisville and the pain endured at the hands of unjust, inequitable, and life-threatening overpolicing by LMPD," the email stated.That perception is exactly how many people in both communities have viewed the hiring, Louisville Urban League President Sadiqa Reynolds said."This officer is a symbol of the pain the Black community has suffered through since 2020," she said. "It is appalling that any organization claiming to be allied with the Black community and our struggle for justice, would even consider hiring him. "We are not positioned to speak to his guilt or innocence but many of us believe that if Breonna Taylor and David McAtee were anything other than Black, Mr. Judah could not have had a successful candidacy for employment." Minute by minute:What happened the night David McAtee was shot dead by National GuardIn an email to The Courier Journal about his hiring Aug. 11, Wagner wrote, "Mr. Judah was hired after an in-depth process, based on his expertise, his understanding of the threats and needs of our Jewish community, and his relationships with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies."Unsuccessful attempts to contact Judah were made by The Courier Journal through his attorney and Wagner.On Wednesday, Wagner announced that Judah resigned."We had hoped to continue to engage in constructive dialogue about the new role Josh began in support of safety and security for the Jewish community and beyond," Wagner wrote in an email. "Unfortunately, current circumstances make it impossible for Josh to meet this goal. Recognizing this, Josh has tendered his resignation as Regional Security Advisor for SAFE Louisville."Why is Josh Judah being sued?Judah was on scene in the aftermath of Taylor's killing in March 2020, though he was not involved in the actual raid. Issues also were raised after McAtee was shot to death by a National Guard member in the early morning hours of June 1, 2020. The guardsman was at the scene of McAtee's business and home on 26th and Broadway because of orders given by Judah. The shooting came after days of protests over Taylor's killing, and a citywide curfew had been issued."It is a big deal that the National Guard ended up at 26th and Broadway," Reynolds said. "There were no protests beyond Eighth Street in Louisville. So why in the world was the National Guard sent to 26th and Broadway?" A lawsuit against Judah, two other LMPD officers and the guardsman who shot McAtee that night was filed on behalf of his mother and niece, which describes the scene of the business that summer as a safe haven in the West End, away from downtown protests and unrest."There were no known protestors at the location, and no law enforcement intelligence suggested that violent protestors were meeting up in the area," the lawsuit, filed in September 2020, states.Yet, just over two minutes after police and soldiers arrived, "the police blocked the intersection and yelled at a crowd at a food mart to leave, pursued and fired upon those leaving, shot into the door of the restaurant kitchen striking Mr. McAtee's niece, Machelle, and shot and killed David McAtee inside the kitchen of his business and home," the lawsuit states.While Judah did not deliver the fatal shot to McAtee, the suit alleges his actions that night were in violation of department policy and ultimately led to McAtee's death and to his niece's injuries.Prior to arriving, Judah allegedly called the city's command center and told officials, "'Check out what we're about to do,'" the suit states. "Everyone then turned to the surveillance screens, and watched as law enforcement arrived at 26th and Broadway. One officer in the command room stated, 'I put up my feet and got out the popcorn' because 'that's how the message (from Judah) was delivered.'"Claims in a lawsuit represent one side of an argument.How exactly the night unfolded is unclear given all officers at the scene failed to turn on their body cameras, despite being the department's standard operating procedure.One former officer, Katie Crews, has been federally indicted in the incident and she was fired by the department for her actions that night and for a social media post she made earlier that day.Crews was caught on video from a nearby business standing at close range on the property line firing pepper balls into McAtee's kitchen, hitting his niece several times. McAtee pulled his niece inside and fired twice above his shoulder with a handgun.Crews' social media post was of a Courier Journal photo showing a protester handing a flower to Crews, with a caption that said: "I hope the pepper balls that she got lit up with a little later on hurt … Come back and get some more ole girl, I'll be on the line again tonight."A second lawsuit, filed in July 2021, alleges Judah ordered the arrests of two protesters who were attempting to enter a church prior to the city's curfew in September 2020, but were blocked by barricades from doing so. The suit alleges the arrests were unlawful and the protesters' rights were violated due to LMPD negligence. All charges filed against the protesters that night have been dropped.While Judah has been named in the two suits, he has not been criminally charged nor was he officially reprimanded by LMPD for any of his actions during the summer of 2020. Despite this, the allegations made against him should carry weight with the Jewish Community of Louisville, Reynolds and others said."We believe that whether the allegations are true or false, the community would not have hired him with these allegations circulating, with an active lawsuit, if they valued our (Black) experiences and our lives," she said.Additionally, she said, a lack of charges does not mean a person is innocent. "Do you know how many things happen in the Black community every day and nobody in any position is ever reprimanded?" she asked. Referring to recent indictments and one conviction related to Breonna Taylor's killing, Reynolds said, "The fact that we see any prosecution is an anomaly. So, don't tell me that the fact they weren't prosecuted means they are absolved of any guilt. All the time, our rights are violated." More: What to know about 7 Louisville Metro Police cases the FBI is investigating for misconductWagner declined to directly answer whether the nonprofit's leadership was aware of the allegations against Judah prior to his hiring. But in an Aug. 18 email obtained by The Courier Journal, Wagner wrote, "Josh has been very proactive and candid about his involvement in facilitating peaceful protests and to try to avert any instances of violence.""We certainly expressed our concern and discussed the issue at great length with Josh.At the conclusion of the hiring and vetting process, we were confident that Josh was – and still is – the right person for the job."For Honi Goldman, a local activist and member of the Jewish community, the hiring and continued employment of Judah, despite mounting outrage, represented an unprecedented divide between Louisville's Jews and the nonprofit."My family has been an integral part of Louisville’s Jewish Community for over a 100 years," Goldman wrote in a statement to The Courier Journal. "I cannot recall another schism of this magnitude that has pitted Jews in this city against the Jewish Community of Louisville. This blatant insensitivity of hiring a man who was so involved in one, if not the, most horrible racial crimes in our lifetime, will have repercussions on this entire city for years, if not decades."In her announcement of his resignation, Wagner wrote, "We appreciate that he has put the best interests of the community first in choosing to step aside, and we wish him the best in his next opportunity to serve."Moving forward Wagner indicated a shift in how the next security adviser will be hired."We are committed to incorporating feedback that represents the diversity of the Jewish community and our partners and neighbors across Louisville, with a primary focus on the safety, security, and resiliency of the Jewish community – and with a hope that our efforts can benefit other communities with comparable and shared issues relative to hate crimes and targeted violence," Wagner wrote. "We look forward to engaging with the Jewish community and beyond as we work toward the common goals of safety and security for everyone in Louisville."Contact reporter Krista Johnson at [email protected].

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Former Louisville cop pleads guilty to lying on Breonna Taylor search warrant

By |2022-08-23T14:29:23-04:00August 23rd, 2022|Breonna Taylor|

Former Louisville Metro Police Detective Kelly Hannah Goodlett pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of conspiring to violate the civil rights of Breonna Taylor for helping falsify an affidavit for the search of her apartment that ended in her death in March 2020.Goodlett is expected to be a star witness at the trial of two of her ex-colleagues, Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany, when they are tried on civil rights charges in connection with Taylor’s death. A third ex-detective, Brett Hankison, is also charged in a separate federal indictment.Goodlett, 35, admitted the charge before U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings with Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, present in the courtroom.Wearing a black top, dark gray pants and glasses, Goodlett appeared with attorney Brandon Marshall, mostly answering “Yes, your honor,” and “yes, ma’am,” as the judge asked her if she understood her rights and the accusations against her.Goodlett was previously released but ordered to surrender her passport and have no contact with her codefendants, including Hankison.She faces a sentence of no more than five years in prison, plus up to a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Her sentencing tentatively is set for 1 p.m. Nov. 22.After the prosecution read through the main facts in the plea agreement, Goodlett answered, “yes, your honor” to the judge’s question if the facts were all true.“Guilty,” she said near the end of the hearing, answering how she would plead.Goodlett admitted she falsely claimed a postal inspector had verified Taylor was receiving packages for her ex-boyfriend, convicted drug dealer Jamarcus Glover, at her apartment before the raid. In fact, postal inspectors said there was no evidence Taylor was receiving packages at her apartment.The indictment of Jaynes alleges Goodlett met with Jaynes in his garage so they could “get on the same page” after a postal inspector said the claim that Taylor was receiving Glover's packages was bogus.Breonna Taylor case:Experts predict who has the edge, the feds or the charged officersJaynes, 40, and Meany, 35, also face civil rights charges for the search that ended in Taylor's death, while Hankison, 46, is charged with violating the civil rights of Taylor; her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker; and three of Taylor’s neighbors; by blindly firing shots into her apartment.Taylor was killed during a police raid March 13, 2020, on her apartment near Iroquois Park.Police stormed into her home where she was sleeping with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker. Thinking an intruder was breaking in, he fired one shot that hit Sgt. John Mattingly in the leg. Mattingly and another detective, Myles Cosgrove, returned fire, killing Taylor.FACT CHECK 2.0:Separating the truth from the lies in the Breonna Taylor police shootingHankison ran to the side and rear of the apartment building, firing through a window and a glass door protected by blinds and a blackout shade and sending several bullets into an adjacent apartment. He was charged and acquitted of wanton endangerment in Jefferson Circuit Court but is charged now in federal court with violating the civil rights of Taylor, Walker and two adults and a child in the other apartment.Taylor was 26, and her death set off protests that lasted for months in Louisville and other cities.Mattingly has since retired, and Cosgrove was fired. Neither has been charged because U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said "the officers who ultimately carried out the search at Taylor's apartment were not involved in the drafting of the warrant and were unaware of the false and misleading statements that it contained."Jaynes and Meany are scheduled for trial Oct. 11 before Senior Judge Charles R. Simpson III, while Hankison’s trial is set for Oct. 13 before Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings. But both trials are almost certain to be postponed.Andrew Wolfson: 502-582-7189; [email protected]; Twitter: @adwolfson.

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'Mind blowing': How did thousands of jellyfish make it into this Louisville park's pond?

By |2022-08-23T05:25:46-04:00August 23rd, 2022|Breonna Taylor|

Thousands of translucent jellyfish are thriving in a pond at Louisville's Shawnee Park.What started as a small social media post has caused a "bloom" of people to seek out the thousands of freshwater jellyfish that were found in the area last week, said Liz Winlock, program director at the Olmsted Parks Conservancy.Winlock's husband sent her photos, and she had to see for herself. After she confirmed a population of the squishy suckers was indeed growing in the pond, Winlock and her coworkers posted photos on social media and said people have showed an unexpected fascination with the creatures.Peach blossom jellyfish are found in freshwater and are about the size of a dime, Winlock said. But what makes this sighting special is that the jellies are native to China and travel around the world."It's really unpredictable," she said. "You don't know when and where they're going to pop up."'One more hole in our hearts':Breonna Taylor protesters mourn death of leader Chris WellsAdditionally, conditions have to be just right for the jellies to be visible. The water needs to be warm, still and clean for the floating fellows to transform from the polyp stage to the medusa stage, a fully mature jellyfish."Just because they've been seen someplace once doesn't mean the conditions will be right for you to notice them again," Winlock added.But the jellies didn't just swim all the way from the ocean to Shawnee Park, right? Well, field technicians like Mary Anne Fox and Lauren Hendrickson aren't exactly sure how they got there.Fox said she learned about the jellies about a week ago, and she was surprised to see them turn up just after that."It was mind blowing," she said. "I'd never, never knew that freshwater jellies existed much less that we could see them in our parks."Fox and Hendrickson think some polyps could have been attached to plants installed in floating islands at the park. The floating islands provide "habitat and food for pollinators, birds, reptiles, and insects as well as shade for fish and other aquatic animals," according to the park's website. Winlock said the jellies also might have just stuck to the legs or feet of animals that hang out near the pond.Regardless of how they got here, everyone agreed it was unusual to see the non-native species, which Winlock estimated number in the thousands.Non-native, however, doesn't always mean noxious, or harmful, Fox said. The jellies are minding their own business."We haven't seen any evidence of them harming the aquatic ecosystem," Fox said.The jellies can sting, but Winlock said their stinging power isn't enough to hurt you. You might not even feel it at all, but the algae that the jellies eat are in for a world of hurt.For subscribers:Louisville's troubled paratransit service is better, leaders say. Riders aren't convincedWinlock encouraged people to get out and see the jellies since they won't be around forever. She said the population is likely to drop when it gets cold."It's just kind of this magical, beautiful little thing to go experience in the park," she said. "I hope it makes people excited about visiting."Contact reporter Rae Johnson at [email protected]. Follow them on Twitter at @RaeJ_33.

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'One more hole in our hearts': Breonna Taylor protesters mourn death of leader Chris Wells

By |2022-08-22T10:45:40-04:00August 22nd, 2022|Breonna Taylor, Election 2020|

He played Santa for Christmas. He shined on the dance floor. And he was always the best-dressed person in the room.But when people think of Chris Wells, they'll remember him most with a bullhorn, leading nightly marches through downtown Louisville in Breonna Taylor's name, never ceasing no matter how few people joined him.On Sunday, Wells was found dead in his apartment from a gunshot wound. He was 33.In a press release, Louisville Metro Police said officers responded to a shooting on east Oak Street, where they determined a man died from a self-inflicted wound based on their investigation and several interviews. A Jefferson County deputy coroner confirmed Monday that Wells was the victim."A leader and a king. Gone away too soon," Stachelle Bussey, founder of The Hope Buss and a representative for Wells' family, said in a text. "... He was a leader, his heart was in the right place, and he was committed to his city being a better place to live for his kids and ours."Wells was a father of three young children who attended Bussey's church, and he was always willing to lend a hand, especially when it came to events for kids."He was just a giving person," said Tyra Walker, a co-chair of the Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. "He was giving, he was spiritual."In the protests, his friends said, Wells found his voice, calling for the arrests of the officers who shot and killed Taylor while serving a search warrant at her apartment.In summer 2020, Wells told The Courier Journal he'd quit his jobs and put his life "on hold" for the protests, seeing a June arrest as almost a badge of honor."I love getting locked up," he said at the time. "You know why? Because it was for standing up for what's right. I didn't get locked up for selling drugs, I didn't get locked up for killing no one, I didn't get locked up for doing anything wrong. I got locked up for standing up for what's right."After the nightly protests cooled, Wells got involved with several grassroots groups, helping register people to vote and promoting gun safety.Tim Findley, senior pastor of the Kingdom Fellowship Christian Life Center, said Wells "represented everything that was right about the movement" and in one of their last conversations, he encouraged Wells to become a preacher."He was passionate, brilliant, a strategist, one that just really took to heart exactly what this fight is all about," Findley said.Now, friends say, Wells is another reminder of what protesters have continued to fight for since they first took to the streets in May 2020."Although not directly, this speaks to a city that is unsettled and has yet to recognize the harm that was done by the Breonna Taylor case," Bussey said. "... The city treated us like dogs in the streets, only because we sought out truth and justice."(Wells) wasn't another person, he was a piece of our movement and now we all have one more hole in our hearts. One more funeral to attend."Through Sunday afternoon, messages poured in on Facebook from people whose lives Wells had touched."You saved my life! I will forever be grateful!" one person wrote."You promised me we would march again," another said."It's a sad day for BREEWAYY and your FAMILY," posted Tamika Palmer, Taylor's mother. "Chris, you will never be forgotten."More:Prosecutors want 26 Breonna Taylor protesters to be tried together. Is that even possible?Shameka Parrish-Wright, the state director for VOCAL-Kentucky and a constant presence at Jefferson Square Park where protesters met every day for more than six months, said Taylor's killing and its aftermath led many people, including Wells, to find their purpose.Once the protests slowed down, however, they lost their outlet and felt their voices were no longer heard, she said. She questioned what could have happened if elected officials had invited young protesters to help make city-level decisions and connected them to the right resources."I think if he'd have gotten a call like that, it would have done wonders for his life," Parrish-Wright said. "... We want to know that we weren't out there for nothing."Walker of the Kentucky Alliance said Wells' death follows other difficult losses in the "protest family," including Travis Nagdy and Kris Smith who were both killed in late 2020.Though the group finally saw justice in the recent federal charges against several LMPD officers involved in Taylor's death, Walker said it seems like protesters will never be able to fully heal."We have a scab that we are trying to heal and every time we start the healing process, it's like wham, it's just ripped right off," she said. "It's like you're hurting and you're in pain and all this grief and trauma hurts all over again. It's like we're not getting any relief."Related:Which officers face federal charges in the Breonna Taylor case: What you should knowWalker and others say they want Louisville to invest in mental health services, especially for those affected by racial trauma.And to those who are hurting, Findley said, "please, please take time and talk to somebody. Even if you feel like you're fine."Reach reporter Bailey Loosemore at [email protected], 502-582-4646 or on Twitter @bloosemore. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: https://www.courier-journal.com/baileyl.

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Louisville police fire Sgt. Kyle Meany after federal indictments in Breonna Taylor case

By |2022-08-19T14:29:58-04:00August 19th, 2022|Breonna Taylor|

More than two years after the killing of Breonna Taylor, a fourth Louisville Metro Police officer has been fired in connection with the March 2020 raid on her apartment.Sgt. Kyle Meany, who joined the department in 2013, was terminated after meeting with Chief Erika Shields, the department announced Friday. The termination comes two weeks after Meany and three other former officers were indicted by a federal grand jury on various charges, largely relating to the search warrant that allowed officers to break in to Taylor's apartment."I made the decision to terminate Sgt. Kyle Meany after careful consideration and not with ease," Shields said in a statement provided Friday through an LMPD spokeswoman. "I fully respect the judicial process and realize Sergeant Meany has yet to be heard before a jury of his peers. That being said, he is facing multiple federal charges after a lengthy investigation by the DOJ. As an employer, the character of our organization is paramount and it is not reasonable to expect continued employment under such conditions."What you should know:Which officers face federal charges in the Breonna Taylor caseWhy Meany was firedMeany is accused of knowing the affidavit used to obtain the warrant was based on false information. His attorney, Brian Butler, said he is "not going to comment on any aspect of this case.""Your actions have brought discredit upon yourself and the department," Shields wrote in a letter to Meany to begin the termination process last week. The letter cited his federal case as grounds for dismissal for violating LMPD's policy regarding "Obedience to Rules and Regulations.""Your conduct has adversely affected the morale, operations and/or efficiency of the department," Shields also wrote, using standard language sometimes used in termination letters for other LMPD personnel. "… Your conduct has severely damaged the image of our department within the community."Meany can appeal his termination to the Police Merit Board, which has a track record of rarely overturning firing decisions.Meany supervised the since-disbanded Place-Based Investigations unit, which had secured the warrant for Taylor's home along with four others as part of a larger narcotics investigation. Each warrant included "no-knock" clauses.Meany has pleaded not guilty after being indicted on federal charges of deprivation of rights and giving a false statement to federal investigators.The indictment alleges that Meany knew the affidavit used to get a warrant to search Taylor's home included false, misleading and out-of-date information. He approved the warrant despite this knowledge and despite knowing the warrant would be executed by other officers, creating a dangerous situation, the indictment says.His second charge of providing false information is related to the entry of Taylor's home.Meany allegedly told FBI investigators that the police department's SWAT unit had asked for no-knock authority, when no such request had been made.After the federal indictments, LMPD announced the department had started the termination process for Meany and Detective Kelly Ann Goodlett, who retired the following day.Meany is the fourth officer to be fired in relation to Taylor's case.Which LMPD officers have been fired after Breonna Taylor's killing?Former Detective Brett Hankison was the first to be fired by the department in June 2020.He had worked for the department for about 17 years when he fired 10 rounds into Taylor's apartment through a covered glass door and window during the raid.Three of those rounds traveled into an adjacent apartment with a man, pregnant woman and 5-year-old child inside, and he was subsequently charged with three counts of wanton endangerment by a state grand jury.Latest charges in Breonna Taylor case:Experts predict who has the edge - the feds or the indicted officersHe was fired after a former interim chief called the rounds he shot "a shock to the conscience." He appealed his firing to the Police Merit Board, but the appeal hearing was set aside until criminal proceedings concluded. He was found not guilty of those charges in March 2022 but is now facing the federal charges.He shot into the neighboring apartment, "without a lawful objective justifying the use of deadly force," said Kristin Clarke, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, said during a news conference last week alongside U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in Washington, D.C.In January 2021, two more officers were fired.Myles Cosgrove was fired by former interim Chief Yvette Gentry for failing to "properly identify a target" when he shot 16 times into Taylor's apartment. He also failed to use a body camera during the raid. He has filed a lawsuit appealing his termination. He has not been charged criminally in relation to the case. Taylor was shot six times during the raid and Cosgrove fired the fatal bullet to her chest, according to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron's investigation.Former Detective Joshua Jaynes also was fired in January 2021 for inserting what former interim police Chief Yvette Gentry found to be an untruthful statement in his sworn affidavit for the warrant to search Taylor's apartment.The federal charges against him include deprivation of rights, conspiracy and falsification of records in an FBI investigation.The indictment accuses Jayne of depriving Taylor of her constitutional rights by knowingly including false, misleading and out-of-date information in the affidavit used to obtain the warrant to search her home. Additionally, the affidavit in support of the search warrant omitted material information, and officers lacked probable cause for the search, according to the indictment.The indictment alleges that after the raid, he continued his attempts to cover up his lies by conspiring with another detective and pressuring other officers to support his story.His third federal charge is that he continued reiterating this false information in an official investigative letter given to investigators on May 1, 2020.

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Sheriff pushes to separate 'myth' from 'fact' in jail rape lawsuit. Lawyer isn't convinced

By |2022-08-18T09:28:31-04:00August 18th, 2022|Breonna Taylor|

Officials with the Clark County Sheriff's Office have published a website they say will "shoot down the lies" included in a lawsuit against the department that claims several women in the jail's custody had been threatened, assaulted and raped after male prisoners gained access to the female pods.A lawyer for several of the women, though, has questions of his own.Twenty-eight women have sued the jail and jail officials since late June, alleging a former officer sold male prisoners the key to the female section of the facility last October. Two of the women were raped, according to claims in the federal lawsuit.In June, Deputy Scott Maples, a spokesman for the Clark County Sheriff, told The Courier Journal former Officer David Jason Lowe sold the key to the men in the prison for what he believes was $1,000. He was then fired and charged with official misconduct, abetting escape and trafficking with inmates. Lowe's trial is set for November.The FBI and U.S. Marshals are assisting with the investigation, according to the sheriff's office.More headlines:Father who fired gun in June shooting at Louisville's Waterfront Park won't be indictedAfter the lawsuit by the women was filed, though, Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel, a defendant in the case, said misinformation has circulated online about what happened that October night.In response, he announced Monday the department had started a new website to correct the record and "deliver transparency to the community."The sheriff's office, though, will determine the timetable behind that transparency. The website will be updated in "coming days," according to a post from Noel, who was not made available for an interview. And a jail spokesman who spoke on Noel's behalf declined to answer questions about claims on the website and in the lawsuit.In a press release this week, Noel questioned whether anyone had been sexually assaulted, since no calls to security that night alleged any attacks and surveillance footage "shows no one in obvious distress." Noel also questioned the timetable of the events, saying contact between the men and women took place for less than 40 minutes as opposed to the "several hours" cited in the lawsuit. He included photographs and video surveillance to support these claims."If any woman was assaulted, we beg them to cooperate with us and actually speak to investigators so we investigate any wrongdoing," Noel added, noting no one has come forward at this point. Sexual assault is "evil," he said, "and my office will always do everything we can to prosecute those who prey on women."Additional measures were put in place, he said, "to prevent this from ever happening again."The lawsuit alleges two women were raped that night. And attorney William P. McCall III, who's representing several women in the case, said the sheriff's statement "shows a total insensitivity to rape victims.""It is not unusual for the victim of sexual assault to feel shame," McCall said. "There is a whole psychological aspect as to why someone would not come forward immediately."McCall said he has reason to believe both consensual and nonconsensual sex occurred that night. One woman who had been in jail became pregnant after that night, he said, and also contracted a sexually transmitted infection.Breonna Taylor case:Experts predict who has the edge, the feds or the charged officers"She was in jail for such an extended period of time, it had to occur there," he said.Another woman who was raped was not attracted to men, had never had sex before and was held down against her will, McCall said, and both women were moved to other jails. One is now in Leitchfield, he said, and the other is in Orange County."Why were those two the only ones that were removed from the jail?" McCall asked. "I believe this was an attempt to get them away from individuals and family they could report to."Maj. Mark Grube, who spoke to The Courier Journal on Noel's behalf, said officials with the sheriff's office believe only one side of the story has been told, "based on someone's testimony," and that the lawyers are lying, a claim repeated several times on the website, where Noel wrote that the lawyers are, "seeking big cash payouts into their own pockets."Grube would not answer any follow-up questions about the case, though, including what new security measures had been implemented after the incident occurred.Instead, Grube said, those interested in the case can regularly check clarkfacts.com for updates. The first was published Tuesday."Our official statement is going to be that Sheriff Noel’s statements will be made on the website. He will be doing that on a regular basis. You can expect one very soon," Grube said.For subscribers:How Joe Biden's deal with Mitch McConnell to seat an anti-abortion judge crashed and burnedNoel will eventually take part in interviews, he said, although he was not able to say when those may occur.In the lawsuit, plaintiffs alleged that Noel had a responsibility to protect inmates and he failed to create and enforce policies to carry out these duties. The filing lists Noel, Lowe and other unidentified corrections officers as defendants.A response to the lawsuit was filed by defendants Tuesday, court records show, in which their attorneys denied nearly all of the allegations that had been put forward by the plaintiffs.Attorneys for the women have only been able to see the evidence that's been provided to them, McCall said. He doesn't believe they've been provided "the complete video of all the camera angles in this pod."Meanwhile, the jury trial for Lowe, the former officer who is accused of supplying the inmates with the key, has been rescheduled several times by request. It was first supposed to take place on Feb. 22, 2022, but is now set for Nov. 1, 2022.Reach reporter Eleanor McCrary at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @ellie_mccrary.

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