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US Senate candidate Charles Booker's memoir has been released. Here are some highlights

By |2022-04-27T10:39:24-04:00April 27th, 2022|David McAtee, Election 2020|

U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker's memoir, "From the Hood to the Holler," hit bookstores Tuesday, detailing his experiences growing up in Louisville, his early days in politics and the 2020 bid he lost for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's seat.  Booker is in the middle of a bid to challenge Sen. Rand Paul this year, with the May 17 Democratic primary for that election just three weeks away. Here are three highlights from his book, released by Crown Publishing, an imprint of the publishing giant Penguin Random House:He thought about contesting Amy McGrath's 2020 primary victoryThe 2020 election in Kentucky was unlike any other, thanks to COVID-19. Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams and Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear worked together on a pandemic plan that included widespread mail-in voting for the first time in state history, among other changes.When the primary election results were released a week after Election Day, they showed Booker lost to frontrunner and fellow Democrat Amy McGrath by about 15,000 votes, or 2.8%. And at first, Booker didn't want to concede, according to his memoir."There had been so much confusion with the mail-in ballots, and we'd learned that votes were being discarded in some counties for not having proper signatures," Booker wrote. "We were hearing stories from people about thousands of votes being improperly thrown out, but we didn't have any hard facts to prove it, and we certainly didn't have anything to indicate that the irregularities were enough to overcome the 15,000-vote margin."Still, so many people were begging me to challenge the results and keep fighting." More politics:Handpicked? Too little support? Behind-the-scenes look at Attica Scott vs. Morgan McGarvey for CongressHe said he told a member of his campaign: "I'm not a quitter. If votes were thrown out, we should fight for them. That's the point of all of this!"However, the staffer told him there wasn't a path to defeat McGrath, and contesting the primary results could hurt his relationship with the Democratic Party and hurt McGrath as the party's nominee to challenge McConnell that November."I fussed a bit more, but eventually I relented and accepted that I would not be the Democratic nominee," Booker wrote in his memoir. That fall, McConnell walloped McGrath with a double-digit reelection victory.He intervened amid rising tensions after law enforcement killed David McAteeBooker's 2020 Senate bid rocketed into the spotlight when he joined Louisville's racial justice protests in the summer of 2020, mere weeks before the June primary election. His memoir reflects on that summer, including the death of David McAtee, who ran a popular barbecue shop in the West End and whom law enforcement shot and killed overnight in June 2020.Booker describes going out to join mourning residents the next morning and the growing tension he saw between the crowd and law enforcement officers on the scene. "I immediately called Governor Beshear to tell him that the residents were terrified and that the National Guard presence was only making things worse," he wrote. "'If you want to keep people safe,' I said, 'please call them off.'"David McAtee:Louisville officer fired for policy violations related to fatal David McAtee shootingBooker also said he spoke with law enforcement and called Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer after an officer told him they couldn't put their weapons down without his say-so."Mayor, we have a problem on our hands that will get worse any minute without your help,'" Booker recalled telling Fischer. "'These officers are standing in a combative posture with the community, and it's antagonizing them. I've asked the officers to put their weapons down ... I need you to give the order.'He came up with his 'Hood to the Holler' slogan on a road trip in Eastern KentuckyBooker drove east in early 2020 to meet with voters and demonstrate that the grassroots coalition he hoped to build across geographic, racial and other demographics in Kentucky was possible.  "Other than the beautiful hills around us, it all felt familiar," he wrote of the drive to Whitesburg. "These were the same houses I'd grown up with in the West End. I even saw one house with the same plastic lawn chairs my mom had in our backyard." Booker said his campaign manager, Colin Lauderdale, told him: "Folks in the hollers get counted out, but there's a lot of hardworking people around here, people who'll take care of one another, even if they don't have a lot.""That sounds like the hood!" Booker responded. "...The folks in these hollers are just as much my family as those I live with in the West End. That's why I am fighting, man. We are going to bring change for all of us, from the hood to the holler." Rand Paul:Senator's comments on Russian invasion criticized as echoing Putin's point on Ukraine"As I said it, we looked at one another and sat quietly," Booker wrote. "I could tell he felt the same reverence that I did. We were on the verge of something powerful.""That's it, man!" Booker recalled saying. "From the hood to the holler. That's going to be our rallying cry." It didn't just become Booker's campaign slogan. He also named the nonprofit he formed after losing the 2020 primary "Hood to the Holler" and used the phrase again as the title for his memoir.Morgan Watkins is The Courier Journal's chief political reporter. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @morganwatkins26.

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US Senate candidate Charles Booker's memoir has been released. Here are some highlights

By |2022-04-27T06:43:47-04:00April 27th, 2022|David McAtee, Election 2020|

U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker's memoir, "From the Hood to the Holler," hit bookstores Tuesday, detailing his experiences growing up in Louisville, his early days in politics and the 2020 bid he lost for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's seat.  Booker is in the middle of a bid to challenge Sen. Rand Paul this year, with the May 17 Democratic primary for that election just three weeks away. Here are three highlights from his book, released by Crown Publishing, an imprint of the publishing giant Penguin Random House:He thought about contesting Amy McGrath's 2020 primary victoryThe 2020 election in Kentucky was unlike any other, thanks to COVID-19. Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams and Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear worked together on a pandemic plan that included widespread mail-in voting for the first time in state history, among other changes.When the primary election results were released a week after Election Day, they showed Booker lost to frontrunner and fellow Democrat Amy McGrath by about 15,000 votes, or 2.8%. And at first, Booker didn't want to concede, according to his memoir."There had been so much confusion with the mail-in ballots, and we'd learned that votes were being discarded in some counties for not having proper signatures," Booker wrote. "We were hearing stories from people about thousands of votes being improperly thrown out, but we didn't have any hard facts to prove it, and we certainly didn't have anything to indicate that the irregularities were enough to overcome the 15,000-vote margin."Still, so many people were begging me to challenge the results and keep fighting." More politics:Handpicked? Too little support? Behind-the-scenes look at Attica Scott vs. Morgan McGarvey for CongressHe said he told a member of his campaign: "I'm not a quitter. If votes were thrown out, we should fight for them. That's the point of all of this!"However, the staffer told him there wasn't a path to defeat McGrath, and contesting the primary results could hurt his relationship with the Democratic Party and hurt McGrath as the party's nominee to challenge McConnell that November."I fussed a bit more, but eventually I relented and accepted that I would not be the Democratic nominee," Booker wrote in his memoir. That fall, McConnell walloped McGrath with a double-digit reelection victory.He intervened amid rising tensions after law enforcement killed David McAteeBooker's 2020 Senate bid rocketed into the spotlight when he joined Louisville's racial justice protests in the summer of 2020, mere weeks before the June primary election. His memoir reflects on that summer, including the death of David McAtee, who ran a popular barbecue shop in the West End and whom law enforcement shot and killed overnight in June 2020.Booker describes going out to join mourning residents the next morning and the growing tension he saw between the crowd and law enforcement officers on the scene. "I immediately called Governor Beshear to tell him that the residents were terrified and that the National Guard presence was only making things worse," he wrote. "'If you want to keep people safe,' I said, 'please call them off.'"David McAtee:Louisville officer fired for policy violations related to fatal David McAtee shootingBooker also said he spoke with law enforcement and called Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer after an officer told him they couldn't put their weapons down without his say-so."Mayor, we have a problem on our hands that will get worse any minute without your help,'" Booker recalled telling Fischer. "'These officers are standing in a combative posture with the community, and it's antagonizing them. I've asked the officers to put their weapons down ... I need you to give the order.'He came up with his 'Hood to the Holler' slogan on a road trip in Eastern KentuckyBooker drove east in early 2020 to meet with voters and demonstrate that the grassroots coalition he hoped to build across geographic, racial and other demographics in Kentucky was possible.  "Other than the beautiful hills around us, it all felt familiar," he wrote of the drive to Whitesburg. "These were the same houses I'd grown up with in the West End. I even saw one house with the same plastic lawn chairs my mom had in our backyard." Booker said his campaign manager, Colin Lauderdale, told him: "Folks in the hollers get counted out, but there's a lot of hardworking people around here, people who'll take care of one another, even if they don't have a lot.""That sounds like the hood!" Booker responded. "...The folks in these hollers are just as much my family as those I live with in the West End. That's why I am fighting, man. We are going to bring change for all of us, from the hood to the holler." Rand Paul:Senator's comments on Russian invasion criticized as echoing Putin's point on Ukraine"As I said it, we looked at one another and sat quietly," Booker wrote. "I could tell he felt the same reverence that I did. We were on the verge of something powerful.""That's it, man!" Booker recalled saying. "From the hood to the holler. That's going to be our rallying cry." It didn't just become Booker's campaign slogan. He also named the nonprofit he formed after losing the 2020 primary "Hood to the Holler" and used the phrase again as the title for his memoir.Morgan Watkins is The Courier Journal's chief political reporter. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @morganwatkins26.

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The Patrick Lyoya shooting reopens debate about how police interact with Black people. Here are other high-profile cases

By |2022-04-16T10:22:47-04:00April 16th, 2022|Breonna Taylor, David McAtee|

The shooting of Patrick Lyoya in Grand Rapids, Michigan, earlier this month is the latest high-profile police shooting under scrutiny. On Wednesday, Grand Rapids police released several video clips, which show Lyoya's entire encounter with a police officer after a traffic stop, including the moment the officer fatally shot the 26-year-old Black man.Several hundred people protested after the video was released, with many chanting, "Justice for Patrick." Lyoya's parents, Dorcas and Peter, and his brother Thomas wept at a news conference Thursday calling for the prosecution of the officer involved in the incident and demanding justice. While details of the case -- and the expected fallout -- are still unfolding, Lyoya's death not only puts the attention back on how a traffic stop can become fatal but reopens years-long frustration with how police interact with Black people. Killings at the hands of law enforcement continue to leave families devastated and social justice advocates calling for reform and policy changes. On Tuesday, three former Minneapolis police officers rejected a plea deal from prosecutors as they await trial for charges in George Floyd's death. And last week, prosecutors declined to file charges against the Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot Amir Locke or any other officers involved in the no-knock warrant service that led to the 22-year-old Black man's death in early February. Although Minnesota juries found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murder in Floyd's death and Kim Potter guilty of manslaughter for shooting Daunte Wright, experts note how rare it is that police officers involved in high-profile, and sometimes deadly, on-duty incidents ever face criminal charges or are convicted."It's rare because the juries are very reluctant to second guess and judge the actions of on-duty police officers in violent street encounters," Philip Matthew Stinson, a criminal justice professor at Bowling Green State University, told CNN previously.Here is a look at some of the most recent high-profile and controversial police shootings and the outcomes: Patrick Lyoya, 26When: April 4, 2022Where: Grand Rapids, MichiganWhat happened: The incident began just after 8 a.m. ET on April 4 when police say they pulled over a vehicle for improper registration. The driver, now known to be Lyoya, got out of the vehicle and at some point, ran, Grand Rapids Police said. Body camera footage showed the officer chasing and tackling Lyoya, resulting in a minutes-long struggle.The officer attempted to tase Lyoya at least twice, according to the police chief, but failed to make contact as Lyoya put his hands on the Taser. At that point, the officer's body camera was accidentally deactivated but cell phone video shows the fatal shot to the head, which can also be heard in video from a home surveillance camera. What's next: Michigan State Police said once the investigation is completed, the evidence will be turned over to the county prosecutor who will decide on charges. The officer's name will be released if charges are filed.Kent County Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Becker asked for patience from the public. "While the videos released today are an important piece of evidence, they are not all the evidence... By law, we are required to review all available evidence before we consider whether charges should be filed, and if so, what appropriate charges should be," he said in a statement Wednesday. A death certificate with the cause and manner of Lyoya's death has been prepared but will not be completed until the toxicology and tissue test results have been received from a contracted laboratory, Kent County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Stephen D. Cohle said in a Wednesday statement, adding his office has requested the results be expedited. Amir Locke, 22When: February 2, 2022 Where: Minneapolis, Minnesota What happened: Minneapolis police were executing a no-knock search warrant linked to a homicide investigation in neighboring St. Paul, when a SWAT officer shot and killed Locke, who appeared to be asleep on a couch when officers came in. Locke wasn't named in the warrant; Locke's cousin was. City officials didn't release a lot of information in the days after an officer shot Locke, other than 14 seconds of video that they said showed Locke with the gun. The video shows officers using a key to open the apartment's door as officers shout, "Police! Search warrant!" Other officers yelled, "Hands! Hands! Hands!" and "Get on the f****ng ground!" as they approach Locke, who was sleeping on the couch and wrapped in blankets. One officer kicks the back of the couch, waking up Locke. He begins to sit up with his gun in his hand as three shots in the home can be heard by officers. The outcomes: Mark Hanneman -- the Minneapolis SWAT officer responsible for the fatal shot -- was placed on administrative leave but returned to active duty on February 28. Last week, CNN reported prosecutors will not file any charges against Hanneman and any of the other officers involved in the shooting due to insufficient admissible evidence. Following Locke's death, the Minneapolis mayor's office announced the police department would be prohibited from executing no-knock search warrants starting April 8.Daunte Wright, 20When: April 11, 2021 Where: Brooklyn Center, Minnesota What happened: The young father was pulled over by police for an expired tag and an illegal air freshener. During the stop, officers learned he had an outstanding warrant and attempted to arrest him, but Wright pulled away and tried to drive off. As video of the incident shows, Officer Kim Potter yelled, "Taser" repeatedly before she shot Wright with her handgun. She then said, "Holy sh*t! I just shot him!" She added: "I grabbed the wrong f**king gun, and I shot him." The shooting led to days of unrest in suburban Brooklyn Center after a tumultuous year of coast-to-coast protests over police brutality and how officers interact with Black people. The outcome: In December, Potter was found guilty of first and second-degree manslaughter in Wright's death. CNN reported in February that she was sentenced to two years in prison, far less than the seven years and two months prosecutors requested. George Floyd, 46When: May 25, 2020 Where: Minneapolis, Minnesota What happened: Minneapolis Police responded to a report of a "forgery in progress" outside of a Cup Foods store where Floyd was accused of passing a counterfeit $20. Officers approached Floyd's car, yanked him from the vehicle, handcuffed him and began to struggle with him in front of a squad car. Video camera footage showed one officer -- in an effort to restrain Floyd -- knelt on his neck for over nine minutes. Floyd pleaded with officers to release him saying, "I can't breathe," and repeatedly calling out for his mother. After several minutes, he was unresponsive. The outcomes: The Minnesota governor issued an executive order activating the national guard amidst the protests following Floyd's death. Protests then spread nationwide in the summer of 2020 as #BlackLivesMatter resurged in popularity on social media. Derek Chauvin -- the officer who knelt on Floyd's neck -- was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for killing Floyd. Chauvin faces 22 years in prison. In February, three other officers were found guilty of violating Floyd's civil rights. CNN reported Tuesday that they are set to stand trial in mid-June for their involvement in Floyd's death. They have all pleaded not guilty. Ronald Greene, 49When: May 10, 2019 Where: Baton Rouge, Louisiana What happened: Louisiana State Police (LSP) engaged in a vehicle pursuit of Ronald Greene after attempting to pull him over for an unspecified traffic violation. LSP reported that the pursuit ended with Greene crashing his car into a tree.Two years later, body camera footage of the incident was released that showed state troopers repeatedly tasing, beating and violently dragging Greene. The family has filed a lawsuit, accusing the agency of trying to cover up how Greene died. Greene's family said they were initially told that he died in a car crash, but forensics examiners later eliminated the car crash as being a reason for his cause of death.The autopsy, prepared by the Union Parish Coroner's Office, states in its opinion section that lacerations of Greene's head were "inconsistent with motor vehicle collision injury and most consistent with multiple impacts from a blunt object."What's next: A special committee has been investigating Greene's case since 2019. Last May, two of the state troopers involved in Greene's death were reprimanded for their actions, specifically for violating body camera procedures. Last week, the local Louisiana district attorney with jurisdiction over the town where Greene died told state lawmakers he plans to convene a special grand jury and pursue criminal charges against the troopers involved in the Black motorist's death.There have been no arrests or indictments of any of the officers involved. Meanwhile, the former head of the LSP on Thursday failed to appear at an appeal hearing related to the case.Breonna Taylor, 26When: March 13, 2020 Where: Louisville, Kentucky What happened: A Jefferson County circuit judge issued five search warrants in pursuit of Taylor's ex-boyfriend, convicted of drug-related crimes. One of those warrants was for Taylor's apartment, and Louisville Metro Police Department executed it early on the morning on March 13. Police announced themselves and battered down the front door while Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were in bed. Thinking they were intruders, Walker fired one shot at officers with a gun he legally owned. Officers then responded with heavy fire, fatally shooting Taylor during the raid. The outcomes: Protests erupted in Louisville shortly after Taylor's death. The case started to gain more national attention following the murder of Floyd in Minneapolis. Her death -- along with Floyd's -- sparked a racial reckoning in the US when demonstrators across the country demanded an end to discriminatory policing practices and inspired more conversations about police brutality against Black women. The city of Louisville agreed to pay Taylor's family a $12 million settlement for their wrongful death lawsuit, the highest settlement ever paid by the city, according to a spokeswoman from the Louisville mayor's office. Brett Hankinson -- one of the officers involved in the raid -- was the only officer charged in connection with the shooting. He was acquitted on three counts of felony wanton endangerment in connection with the raid.David McAtee, 53When: June 1, 2020 Where: Louisville, Kentucky What happened: During a protest following the death of Taylor and Floyd, Louisville police and the Kentucky National Guard were sent to disperse a large crowd of demonstrators around midnight in front of a BBQ stand McAtee owned. Officers began firing pepper balls into the crowd, one of which hit McAtee's niece, McAtee's nephew told CNN affiliate WAVE. Louisville Police released a video where McAtee appears to grab his niece and fire shots at officers. Louisville Police and the National Guard then took cover and fired back, killing McAtee, according to the former police chief. The outcomes: One former police officer has been indicted for unreasonable force against an individual during the protest that lead to McAtee's death. McAtee's family also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against 10 LMPD officers and 10 members of the Kentucky National Guard, accusing them of assault and battery, excessive use of force and negligence among other charges. Atatiana Jefferson, 28When: October 12, 2019 Where: Fort Worth, TexasWhat happened: Overnight on October 12, Fort Worth officers responded to a call from a concerned neighbor who noticed the front door was left open at Jefferson's home. Jefferson was babysitting her nephew for her sister, who was recovering from heart surgery, when two Fort Worth police officers arrived at the home without knocking. Police reports say Jefferson heard a noise outside, approached the window and pulled out her gun. Body camera footage shows one officer demanding through the window for Jefferson to show her hands before opening fire through the window, killing her in front of her nephew. The outcomes: In December 2019, a Texas grand jury indicted former Fort Worth officer Aaron Dean for Jefferson's death. The Fort Worth Telegram previously reported that Dean pleaded not guilty and was released on bond in October 2019, with a trial scheduled for this May. Jefferson's father filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Fort Worth and Dean. Jefferson's sister filed a separate wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Fort Worth, Dean and Fort Worth's former police chief. Elijah McClain, 23When: August 24, 2019 Where: Aurora, Colorado What happened: Elijah McClain was walking home from a convenience store when he was confronted by three officers in Aurora, Colorado in response to a 911 caller reporting a suspicious person wearing a ski mask. McClain "resisted contact" and a struggle ensued, according to a news release from police.McClain was wrestled to the ground, according to a letter from the Adams County District Attorney, and an officer proceeded to place him in a carotid hold, restricting blood flow to his brain. When paramedics arrived, they administered McClain ketamine, a powerful anesthetic. He suffered a heart attack en route to the hospital and was declared brain dead three days later. The outcomes: Last year, the city agreed to pay the McClain family $15 million to settle the civil rights lawsuit the family filed after his death. A Colorado grand jury indicted three police officers and two paramedics in September each on manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, among other charges as part of a 32-count indictment. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser opened the investigation after a viral petition advocated for the investigation and the Adams County District Attorney declined to bring charges against the officers. The Colorado Attorney General's Office launched a 14-month investigation into the Aurora police and fire departments. The investigation found the police department had a pattern of practicing racially biased policing and excessive force and had failed to record legally required information when interacting with the community.In November, the city and the state of Colorado reached an agreement on the terms of a consent decree to resolve issues with the Aurora Police Department and Aurora Fire Rescue that were identified in a September "Patterns and Practices" report.The consent decree covers four areas identified in the Attorney General's report: Racially Biased Policing, Use of Force, Documentation of Stops, and Ketamine and Other Chemical Restraints.CNN's Omar Jimenez, Alta Spells, Nick Valencia and Jade Gordon contributed to this report.

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Louisville officer fired for policy violations related to fatal David McAtee shooting

By |2022-04-12T13:39:12-04:00April 12th, 2022|Breonna Taylor, David McAtee|

The former Louisville police officer who fired pepper balls into a West End barbecue shop just before owner David McAtee was fatally shot by a National Guard member was terminated Feb. 7 for violating department policies. A Professional Standards Unit investigation found Katie Crews violated three policies related to the McAtee incident at 26th Street and West Broadway the night of June 1, 2020: body camera procedures, de-escalation and use of chemical agents, according to the termination letter from LMPD Chief Erika Shields.A separate internal investigation related to a Facebook post in which Crews celebrated a protester being shot by pepper balls found she also violated policies on using social media and police conduct.Crews has appealed her firing to the city's Police Merit Board but requested the hearing be put on hold until federal criminal charges against her are resolved.In the Feb. 16 appeal, her attorney, Kyle Vaughn, wrote the allegations aren't supported by evidence, the penalty is disproportionate and excessive for the offenses and other "similarly situated officers" have been penalized less.More:Former LMPD officer involved in David McAtee shooting now facing federal chargesLast month, Crews was indicted on federal charges for using unreasonable force against McAtee's niece, Machelle McAtee, when police and National Guard members were called to clear the parking lot across the street at Dino's Food Mart.A 9 p.m. curfew was in place because of protests resulting from the police shooting of Breonna Taylor. Crews was the only officer to use force that night McAtee was killed.When most of the LMPD officers and Guard members exited from a line of military transport vehicles that pulled up on West Broadway just after midnight, Crews veered off toward 26th Street and fired pepper balls at people who rushed into McAtee's business where he also lived.Crews stood 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.Two LMPD officers, including Crews and Austin Allen, and two National Guard members returned fire. McAtee was hit in the heart and died almost immediately.In 2021, Commonwealth Attorney Thomas Wine determined that Crews did not violate any state criminal laws.Crews failed to activate her body-worn camera that night and didn't complete a "failure to activate" form, Shields wrote in the termination letter.She also violated the department's policy on the use of chemical agents — in this case the pepper balls — when she used them on a crowd that was "neither disorderly nor aggressive," Shields wrote.Crews also fired pepper balls at McAtee's niece when she didn't pose a threat and was standing in the doorway of private property.She also violated the department's de-escalation policy by failing to give people a chance to respond to her commands before firing the pepper balls, Shields wrote.Minute by minute:What happened the night David McAtee was shot dead by National GuardSocial media incidentBefore the McAtee shooting, Crews posted a Courier Journal photo of a protester handing a flower to Crews, writing 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."Shields in her letter wrote the comment could be construed as promoting violence, therefore violating the policy. The post also "adversely affected, lowered or destroyed" public respect and confidence in the department.Shields wrote that Crews' conduct overall demanded termination and "severely damaged" the department's image. The result of her actions "seriously impedes" the department's goal of providing citizens with a professional law enforcement agency, Shields wrote.Kala Kachmar is an investigative reporter. Reach her at 502-662-2002; [email protected] or @NewsQuip on Twitter. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/subscribe.

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'Unacceptable': Rally urges changes at Metro Corrections following 8 deaths within months

By |2022-03-30T14:51:14-04:00March 30th, 2022|David McAtee, Election 2020|

Cane Weitherspoon stood before a crowd in Jefferson Square Park on Wednesday just before noon, holding a baby girl that his mother will not get to see grow up.That's because Stephanie Dunbar, 48, died Dec. 4 while in the custody of Louisville Metro Corrections — the third person to die in the department's custody that week."I didn't know what was going on," Weitherspoon said of his mother's death. "I really didn't know how to take it."Since his loss, another five people have died while in the custody of the downtown jail — sparking outrage among community members and organizations that view one death as too many, let alone eight within five months. In response, they formed a coalition called Community Stakeholders to End Deaths at LMDC, which organized the rally and press conference at Jefferson Square on Wednesday, whichattended by more than two dozen people."It was unacceptable when it was three, then four, five, six, seven and now we've lost eight of our neighbors and community members," Amber Duke, interim president of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, said at the gathering. "Until folks take this seriously — the mayor's office, our judicial partners — people have and will continue to die." Multiple deaths at the jail have been attributed to suicide and drug overdoses by jail officials. That has called into question the integrity of mental health screenings and security measures at the jail, which has clearly failed to keep illicit drugs out of the building. After the seventh death and two "no confidence" votes, Metro Corrections Director Dwayne Clark announced on March 18 that he would retire at the end of April. Following the eighth death — which the jail attributed to an overdose, though the coroner said it was awaiting autopsy — Metro Corrections announced extra security measures geared toward keeping drugs out.The changes involve how mail is delivered, how often K-9 dogs are used and how new prisoners are screened.  6 deaths in 4 months:Louisville's jail is in crisis. Here's what can be done to fix itThese steps aren't enough, though, Duke said. There needs to be a "thorough review," of Wellpath Care, the privately contracted medical and mental health services provider for the jail, because "there is clear indication something is wrong with their screening process," Duke said. "We have to, as a community, investigate and hold WellPath responsible for the care they are providing for people in custody."Additionally, Duke argued that while the jail has announced measures to prevent drugs from coming into jail, all of the measures are focused on those who are incarcerated and don't include people who come in and out of the building."If they are serious about contraband, serious about substances not entering the building, they have to be serious about every individual, every vendor that comes in and out," Duke said. A major hurdle the jail is facing is overcrowding, coupled with a shortage of staff. In 2021 Metro Corrections lost 70 officers and hired 49. In January, the department reported 153 vacancies. According to a report on the jail’s population dated Dec. 8, the jail was 122 people above capacity. As of Monday, the jail was  eight people above capacity, Clark told The Courier Journal.  Related:Louisville Metro Corrections revamps drug detection efforts after another jail deathDenorver "Dee" Garrett, a Louisville resident and social justice protester whose arrest went viral when a Louisville Metro Police Officer was caught on video punching him in the face during his arrest, served 40 days in the jail in the fall of 2021, starting in early October.Garrett told The Courier Journal in February that people in the two blocks he stayed in were forced to sleep under tables and under TV monitors. He said he slept on the floor in a bed "boat," but many had to sleep on mats."To get to the restroom, you have to step over other people," he said. "It’s a hazard."Shameka Parrish-Wright, who serves as the operations manager for "The Bail Project" and is running for mayor, spoke out at the press conference about the overcrowding in the jail. The answer isn't to build a new jail, she said, but rather to implement new measures that allow those who are not a danger to the community out of the jail. "We need to get as many people out as possible," Parrish-Wright said. More headlines:Former LMPD officer involved in David McAtee shooting now facing federal chargesJudges, she continued, need to be bold in their sentencing decisions and home incarceration could be used more. Additionally, she suggested a system that would allow people to resolve old bench warrants without being arrested. "The jail cannot be a dumping ground for people we don't know what to do with," she said. Louisville Metro Corrections deaths since November 2021: Kenneth Hall, 59, who was found unresponsive in a medical unit cell Nov. 29 of apparent heart disease. He was arrested Nov. 2 in Boone County and held on a $10,000 bond for failure to appear and a bench warrant for failing to register as a sex offender. It’s not clear why Hall was housed in the Jefferson County jail, more than 80 miles from where he was arrested.Rickitta Smith, 34, who was found unresponsive by staff Dec. 3. She was administered Narcan and taken to a hospital, where she died. Smith was held on a $5,000 bond after being charged Dec. 1 with third-degree criminal trespass, possession of cocaine, possession of a synthetic drug, evading police and resisting arrest.Stephanie Dunbar, 48, died by suicide Dec. 4 after she was moved into a segregated cell for fighting with other inmates. She was charged with second-degree assault and held on a $25,000 bond after she was accused of slashing someone’s face and head with a knife Nov. 30.Garry L. Wetherill, 41, who died in the hospital after jail officials said he attempted to hang himself Jan. 1. On Dec. 27, he was held on a $25,000 bond after being charged with receiving more than $10,000 of stolen property and failing to register as a sex offender.Keith Smith, 66, who was found unresponsive in the medical unit while in jail and died Jan. 9 at the University of Louisville Medical Center. On Jan. 5, Smith was charged with third-degree criminal trespassing and held on a $1,500 bond after refusing to leave a downtown restaurant.Lesley Starnes, 36, who died in the hospital Feb. 7 after the jail said he attempted to hang himself. He had been booked into Metro Corrections on Jan. 26, arrested in Jefferson County on a Bullitt County warrant for felony non-support charges and had a $5,000 bond.A man, who has yet to be identified, who died in the hospital March 12 after he was found unresponsive. He'd been booked into the jail three days earlier on a parole violation. He was 32 years old, and his cause of death has not been released. Barry Williams Sr., 50, who was pronounced dead at the hospital March 28 after he was found unresponsive. LMDC officials cited his cause of death as an overdose, though the coroner has not issued a cause of death. Williams had been in jail custody since May 2020 on a variety of charges, including domestic violence assault, burglary and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was sentenced to 24 years in state prison in February and was being held on a $100,000 bond with pending post-trial motions.Contact reporter Krista Johnson at [email protected].

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Two Louisville police officers injured in crash on Cane Run Road

By |2022-03-17T15:41:36-04:00March 17th, 2022|David McAtee|

Two Louisville Metro Police officers were sent to the hospital following a car crash Thursday morning at Cane Run Road and Crums Lane. Two officers were riding together eastbound on Crums Lane when they were struck about 9 a.m. by an SUV traveling northbound on Cane Run Road while the officers had a green light, Louisville Metro Police spokesman Dwight Mitchell said in a statement.The driver of the SUV and its five passengers fled the scene on foot, LMPD said. They were apprehended a short time later by other officers responding in the area, police said, adding that charges are pending. The officers were taken to University of Louisville Hospital with minor injuries, Mitchell's statement said, and the occupants from the SUV have not been reported to have sustained any injuries.All lanes on Cane Run Road near Crums Lane were closed about two hours Thursday morning. Read also:Former LMPD officer involved in David McAtee shooting now facing federal chargesContact reporter Krista Johnson at [email protected].

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After LMPD cruiser crash Thursday morning, all lanes of Cane Run Road blocked

By |2022-03-17T10:28:17-04:00March 17th, 2022|David McAtee|

A Louisville Metro Police car was involved in an accident Thursday that sent two officers to the hospital. All lanes on Cane Run Road near Crums Lane were blocked around 9 a.m. after a police unit was struck by an SUV, according to a release from LMPD spokesman Dwight Mitchell. Two officers who were riding together were driving eastbound on Crums Lane when they were struck by an SUV traveling northbound on Cane Run Road while the officers had a green light, according to the department's preliminary investigation and witnesses, the release states. After the crash, the driver of the SUV as well as multiple passengers fled the scene, according to the release. They were apprehended a short time later by other officers responding to the area.The officers were transported to University of Louisville Hospital with minor injuries.The occupants from the SUV have not been reported to have sustained any injuries, but will face charges.Read also:Former LMPD officer involved in David McAtee shooting now facing federal chargesContact reporter Krista Johnson at [email protected].

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Former Louisville Officer Who Fired Pepper Balls Is Indicted

By |2022-03-16T23:29:35-04:00March 16th, 2022|Breonna Taylor, David McAtee|

The act preceded a volley in which a popular barbecue chef, David McAtee, was fatally shot by a National Guard member.A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted a former police officer in Louisville, Ky., on a charge that she used unreasonable force in firing pepper balls at a person to try to enforce a curfew during protests against police violence in 2020 — an act that led to the fatal shooting of a popular barbecue chef by a Kentucky National Guard member.The killing of the chef, David McAtee, at his shop, YaYa’s BBQ, came as the local authorities were enforcing a curfew following two days of protesting and rioting in the wake of the police killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.The grand jury indicted Katie R. Crews, 29, of Jeffersonville, Ind., accusing her of violating an individual’s rights while acting as an officer of the Louisville Metro Police Department, according to a statement from the United States Department of Justice.Katie R. Crews, a former police officer in Louisville, has been charged with using ureasonable force.Louisville Metro Police DepartmentMs. Crews fired a pepper ball “at an individual, while the individual was standing on private property and not posing a threat to the defendant or others,” the statement said. If convicted, Ms. Crews faces up to 10 years in prison, prosecutors said.Efforts to reach Ms. Crews were not immediately successful.In a statement last May, Thomas B. Wine, the Jefferson County commonwealth’s attorney, described the brief, confusing and fatal moments around midnight on May 31, 2020, when the police and National Guard members descended on the predominantly Black West End neighborhood to enforce Louisville’s curfew.Mayor Greg Fischer had announced a 9 p.m. curfew and Gov. Andy Beshear activated the Kentucky National Guard a day earlier, after two days of protests and property damage in the city, Mr. Wine said.On May 31, the Louisville Metro Police Department sent officers and National Guard members to the intersection of 26th Street and West Broadway, to clear people from the parking lot of Dino’s Food Market. Across the street, Mr. McAtee’s shop was still serving customers; some people in the crowd walked over.“There was no evidence that the crowd was engaged in any type of protest or destructive behavior,” Mr. Wine said.Ms. Crews fired several pepper balls toward where Mr. McAtee’s niece, Machelle McAtee, was standing under a blue canopy outside YaYa’s. She and several others sought shelter inside, Mr. Wine said in the statement.One of the balls — which may not have been distinguishable at the time from other ammunition — hit a bottle on an outdoor table, according to bystander video analyzed by the visual investigations team of The New York Times. Another pepper ball, it said, came close to hitting Mr. McAtee’s niece in the head.That’s when Mr. McAtee pointed a gun out a door and fired one shot, before stepping back inside and then re-emerging to fire a second shot, Mr. Wine said.After the shots by Mr. McAtee, police officers and National Guard soldiers “switched from non-lethal weapons such as pepper ball guns to service weapons,” Mr. Wine said, and Ms. Crews, another Louisville police officer and two National Guard members returned fire.Mr. McAtee was struck once in the chest, and he died before paramedics arrived around five minutes later, Mr. Wine said.In his statement last May, Mr. Wine said he declined to pursue criminal charges against the four individuals, including Ms. Crews, who had fired a total of 19 shots during the encounter. Ms. Crews fired eight of the shots, but the shot that hit Mr. McAtee was fired by one of the two National Guard members, though it was unclear which one, Mr. Wine said.The officers and National Guard members “reasonably believed, based on the facts and circumstances, that Mr. McAtee posed an immediate threat of death or serious injury to them or to another person,” Mr. Wine said. They were justified “to use deadly physical force in response to the deadly physical force used by Mr. McAtee against them.”The federal indictment on Wednesday addressed the firing of the pepper balls, not the actual shooting death of Mr. McAtee.The Louisville police department said that Ms. Crews was on paid administrative leave from June 1, 2020, until she was fired last month, The Louisville Courier Journal reported.A lawyer who has previously represented Mr. McAtee’s family could not immediately be reached late Wednesday.

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