Breonna Taylor

Judge Dismisses Charges Against Two Former Cops Involved In Breonna Taylor’s Murder

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The Breonna Taylor case just got a massive update, as federal U.S. District Court Judge Charles Simpson reportedly dismissed charges against two former police officers involved in the raid on her house in which cops murdered her. Former detective Joshua Jaynes and former officer Kyle Meany were charged with “submitting a false affidavit” back in 2022, which is what prompted the raid in the first place. Also, they faced accusations of fabricating a “false cover story in an attempt to escape responsibility for their roles” in designing the search warrant with “false information.” These initial charges reportedly could’ve resulted in life sentences. According to TMZ, neither officer was there during the raid.

Furthermore, on Thursday (August 22), Judge Simpson reportedly claimed that this search warrant did not cause Breonna Taylor’s death. Rather, Simpson attributed her murder to her boyfriend Kenneth Walker and how he shot at officers, and characterized this as the “legal cause” of her death. “There is no direct link between the warrantless entry and Taylor’s death,” the ruling reportedly reads. “Taylor’s death was proximately caused by the manner in which the warrant was executed.

Read More: Breonna Taylor’s Family Detail The Night She Was Killed By Police 

Judge Dismisses Charges Against Cops Involved In Breonna Taylor’s Murder

 
 
 
 
 
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“[Kenneth Walker’s] decision to open fire, as alleged and argued, was the natural and probable consequence of executing the warrant at 12:45 a.m. on ‘an unsuspecting household,’” the ruling reportedly continued concerning Breonna Taylor. “That decision prompted the return fire, which hit and killed Taylor.” Per TMZ, former detective Jaynes still faces “two counts of falsification of records, conspiracy to falsify records, and witness tampering” charges in this case. On the other hand, Meany faces “one charge of [making a] false statement to federal investigators.” He and Jaynes could serve up to five and 40 years respectively if found guilty.

“Louisville police is different,” EST Gee shared last year. “You know how n***as teach them to not like the police? I don’t want to say his name. He was involved in the Breonna Taylor s**t, one of the police officers. When I was little, he walked [into] a group of us home at gunpoint, on my granny. She lived in Turtle Creek. One of the dudes from the Breonna Taylor [murder]. So I had my own experience early. The police, they ain’t never helped me.”

Read More: Brett Hankison Found Not Guilty Of Endangering Breonna Taylor’s Neighbors During 2020 Shooting

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Federal Judge Rules The No-Knock Warrant Did Not Cause Breonna Taylor’s Death, Charges Against Officers Dismissed

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A federal judge decided that two Louisville Police officers who were charged with submitting a false affidavit to search Breonna Taylor’s home were not responsible for her death.

U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson said that Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, was responsible for her immediate cause of death by firing at the officers, causing them to respond with lethal force.

Back in 2022, Detective Joshua Jaynes and Sgt. Kyle Meany were charged with submitting a false affidavit to search Taylor’s home before the raid and then creating a fake story to avoid responsibility after Taylor was killed during the raid. They were also charged with felonies for using a dangerous weapon to deprive Breonna of her Fourth Amendment right to defend herself against unreasonable search.

Both officers would’ve have received life sentences of they were found guilty. Both are also stil facing other pending charges, with Meany facing one charge of false statement to federal investigators, while Jaynes has been charged with two counts of falsification of records, conspiracy to falsify records and witness tampering.

Jaynes could get up to 40 years if convicted and Meany could get 5 years behind bars. They both have been fired from the Louisville Police Dept.

The post Federal Judge Rules The No-Knock Warrant Did Not Cause Breonna Taylor’s Death, Charges Against Officers Dismissed first appeared on The Source.

The post Federal Judge Rules The No-Knock Warrant Did Not Cause Breonna Taylor’s Death, Charges Against Officers Dismissed appeared first on The Source.

EST Gee Claims Officer Involved In Breonna Taylor’s Death Held Him At Gunpoint

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During his recent interview on the Bootleg Kev Podcast, EST Gee opened up about some of his previous experiences with law enforcement. The artist claims to have had a pretty poor relationship with the police from a young age, and it seems to be for good reason. Apparently, one police officer held EST Gee and his friend at gunpoint while they were kids. He also claims that the officer then went on to become involved with a high-profile case of police brutality.

“Louisville police is different,” he explained to the host. “You know how n***as teach them to not like the police? I don’t wanna say his name. He was involved in the Breonna Taylor sh*t, one of the police officers. When I was little, he walked a group of us home at gunpoint, on my granny. She lived in Turtle Creek.” EST Gee went on, “One of the dudes from the Breonna Taylor muthaf*cka. So I had my own experience early. The police they ain’t never helped me.”

Read More: EST Gee Walks Out On Bootleg Kev, Tells Him He “Plays Crazy”

EST Gee On Louisville Police

Breonna Taylor was only 26-years-old when she was shot and killed by police in her own apartment in 2020. Authorities claim to have mistaken Breonna’s residence for another that they were trying to search, instead breaking down the medical worker’s door. Her boyfriend was at the residence, and believed the officers were intruders. He responded by firing one shot at police. The officers ended up firing 22 shots, with several of them hitting Taylor.

Though it’s unclear which of the seven officers involved had the run-in with EST Gee, it’s clear why the experience had a profound impact on his relationship with law enforcement. He went on to explain that in the past, police have also interfered with his shows. “They told the promoter they didn’t want me in there,” he revealed. “The promoter was like, ‘Alright well I’m gonna have just [Lil Baby] then,’ and they was like, ‘Nah, ’cause Baby might try to bring Gee out,’ because he did before on some surprise sh*t.”

Read More: EST Gee And Yo Gotti Team Up For “A MOMENT WITH GOTTI”

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Former Louisville Officer Who Fatally Shot Breonna Taylor Hired As Deputy In Rural KY

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A former Louisville police officer who fired the fatal shot that killed Breonna Taylor has a new job in law enforcement – a controversial hiring that drew protesters to a rural Kentucky county northeast of the city.

The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday confirmed the employment of Myles Cosgrove, who was fired from the Louisville Metro Police Department in January 2021 for violating use-of-force procedures and failing to use a body camera during the raid on Taylor’s apartment, according to media reports.

Investigators said that Cosgrove fired 16 rounds into the apartment after Taylor’s front door was breached during a narcotics raid on March 13, 2020. Thinking an intruder was breaking in, Taylor’s boyfriend fired a shot from a handgun at the officers. Officer Jonathan Mattingly was struck in the leg, and the officers returned fire, killing Taylor in her hallway.

An FBI investigation determined that Cosgrove and Mattingly struck Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, and that Cosgrove likely fired the fatal shot. Neither officer was charged by a 2020 state grand jury in Taylor’s death, and a two-year investigation by the FBI also cleared Cosgrove and Mattingly of any charges.

The FBI probe found that other superior officers had crafted a faulty drug warrant that contained false information about Taylor. U.S. Attorney Merrick Garland said in August that the officers who went to Taylor’s apartment with the warrant “were not involved in drafting the warrant affidavit and were not aware that it was false.”

Robert Miller, chief deputy in Carroll County, pointed out that Cosgrove was cleared by the state grand jury when speaking of his hiring at the small Kentucky sheriff’s department.

The post Former Louisville Officer Who Fatally Shot Breonna Taylor Hired As Deputy In Rural KY appeared first on The Source.

Cop Who Killed Breonna Taylor Finds New Law Enforcement Job

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In March 2020, 26-year-old Breonna Taylor was shot and killed in her Louisville home by members of the Louisville Police Department. The officers had been conducting a no-knock warrant obtained to investigate reported links to a local drug dealing operation. Later investigations would find layers of protocol breaches, corruption, and no reason to actually investigate Taylor’s residence. Taylor’s residence was also never searched.

After police breached the apartment, they were fired upon by Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker. Walker testified that the police did not announce themselves and he believed that they were instead intruders. Officers responded by firing 32 rounds into the apartment, hitting Taylor six times. After finding multiple breaches of police protocol in subsequent investigations, the LMPD fired Myles Cosgrove. Cosgrove was the officer deemed to have fired the shot that killed Taylor. Taylor’s death was just one of many that sparked a wave of anti-police protests in 2020.

Cosgrove’s Hiring Defended By New Employer

According to multiple sources, Myles Cosgrove has now found a new position in law enforcement. He will now serve as a member of the Carroll County Sherriff’s Department. Carroll County sits about 51 miles northeast of Louisville. Furthermore, the Sherriff’s Department has defended the hiring. Sherriff Ryan Gosser argued that Cosgrove had faced no legal consequences regarding Taylor’s death. Furthermore, Gosser defended Cosgrove’s experience and stated it would be a benefit to the department. “We’re going to give him a chance,” Gosser said. Cosgrove had appealed his firing numerous times but had never been reinstated. Most recently, his appeal was rejected and his firing upheld was in February.

However, this is the latest in a long history of cops being rehired. A 2022 Reuters report found that police officers rarely faced punishment for misconduct. Additionally, those who are punished are overwhelmingly rehired. In December 2022, a police officer fired from the San Antonio PD for giving a homeless man a feces sandwich was hired in a town 30 miles away. Furthermore, the officer who killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014 has been rehired twice in recent years. Public outcry about Cosgrove’s hiring has been swift and fierce. However, his new employer appears intent on retaining him for now.

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Breonna Taylor Investigation By Justice Dept. Finds Pattern Of Discriminatory Policing In Louisville

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US Attorney General Merrick Garland has confirmed that there exists a pattern of discriminatory policing practices in the city of Louisville, Kentucky. He announced in a press conference on Wednesday that a Justice Department report found the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government and Louisville Metro Police Department “engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law.” The department launched the investigation in response to the killing of Breonna Taylor in 2020.

“This conduct is unacceptable, it is heartbreaking,” Garland said. “It erodes the community trust necessary for effective policing and it is an affront to the vast majority of officers who put their lives on the line every day to serve Louisville with honor.”

Merrick Garland’s Announcement

US Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks during a press conference on the Justice Department’s findings of the civil rights investigation into the Louisville Metro Police Department and Louisville Metro Government on March 8, 2023, in Louisville, Kentucky. – The investigation stems from the March 13, 2020, killing of Breonna Taylor by police officers serving a no-knock warrant. (Photo by LUKE SHARRETT / AFP) (Photo by LUKE SHARRETT/AFP via Getty Images)

The report states that the Louisville police department “discriminates against Black people in its enforcement activities.” It also uses excessive force and conducts searches based on invalid warrants. The report further cites violations of the rights of people engaged in protected speech in reference to protests in the city in the summer of 2020 after Taylor’s death. Police shot and killed the 26-year-old during a raid on her apartment after midnight on March 13, 2020.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the city still “has wounds” that have yet to heal. We have to come to terms with where we’ve been, so we can get to where we want to be.” An attorney for the family of Breonna Taylor, Sam Aguiar, said in a statement responding to the news: “The department has damaged so many lives with little to no accountability. And our local prosecutors have not done a damn thing to assure that criminals with badges are treated like the criminals that they are.”

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Breonna Taylor’s Mother Confirms She & Tyre Nichols Shared The Same Birthday

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Tamika Palmer, the mother of Breonna Taylor, confirmed on Instagram that her late daughter and Tyre Nichols share the same birthday. Both Taylor and Nichols died at the hands of police violence.

After Palmer shared her post, her friend and activist, Tamika Mallory, reflected on speaking about Nichols’ death with Palmer. Mallory explained that she had to console Palmer following the news.

LOUISVILLE, KY – SEPTEMBER 21: Tamika Palmer, mother of Breonna Taylor, poses for a portrait in front of a mural of her daughter at Jefferson Square park on September 21, 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky. Demonstrators gathered to prepare for possible unrest in wake of the Grand Jury decision regarding the officers involved in the killing of Breonna Taylor. Taylor was fatally shot by Louisville Metro Police officers during a no-knock warrant at her apartment on March 13, 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky. Demonstrators have occupied the park for 118 days. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

“Yesterday, I spent 30 horrible minutes trying to calm down Breonna Taylor’s mother and my friend,” she stated. “She was hysterical after learning her daughter and Tyre share the same exact birthday to the year. She was damn near inconsolable and the only thing that broke her mourning was me saying, ‘Sis, you are going to get sick. Please stop before you get sick.’”

Mallory continued: “Then I cracked a personal joke and we were able to shift the conversation. We started cussing and talking about the war to stop this shit. So many emotions in 30 minutes. This shit is traumatizing… It’s NOT OK. I’m NOT OK!”

Nichols was brutalized by several Memphis police officers during a traffic stop. Video from the incident shows them punching and kicking him in the head repeatedly for three minutes. Nichols died three days later.

Breonna Taylor was fatally shot during a police raid on her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2020.

Check out Tamika Palmer and Tamika Mallory’s posts on Instagram below.

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Lizzo Used Her People’s Choice Awards Speech To Bring Breonna Taylor’s Mom And Other Female Activists On Stage

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During last night’s People’s Choice Awards, Lizzo won Song Of The Year (“About Damn Time”) and People’s Champion — with her speech for the second award making significant news today. The fan-voted event found Lizzo’s Champion award being introduced by her mom, making it all the more special of a moment.

“I’ma be honest, when I first heard about this award, I was on the fence about whether I should accept,” she said. “Because, if I’m the people’s champ, I don’t need a trophy for championing people, you know what I’m saying?”

“I’m here tonight because to be an icon isn’t about how long you’ve had your platform,” Lizzo continued. “Being an icon is what you do with that platform. And ever since the beginning of my career, I’ve used my platform to amplify marginalized voices. I am sharing this honor. Make some noise for the people, y’all. These are all activists and people that I think deserve the spotlight.”

Lizzo greeted a handful of activists, naming each person and their causes, from fighting for Flint, Michingan to have clean drinking water to advocating for indigenous communities. As the introduction progressed, Lizzo and the guests were both brought to tears. She hugged a woman who lost her sister, a teacher who protected students in Uvalde. And, at the end of the lineup, she also included Breonna Taylor’s mother, giving space to women across all fields of champion work.

Watch Lizzo’s full People’s Champion award speech above.

Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Former Louisville Cop Pleads Guilty To Breonna Taylor Conspiracy

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Kelly Goodlett

Kelly Goodlett, a former Louisville police officer, entered her guilty plea in a federal court in Louisville, Kentucky. Goodlet pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy. Guilty Plea The New York Times reported that Kelly Goodlett, a former Louisville police officer, had entered her plea before U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings in a […]

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Four Officers Charged in the Fatal Shooting of Breonna Taylor

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Breonna Taylor's Family Remembers Her on What Would've Been Her 28th Birthday

Four Louisville officers involved in the raid of the home where Breonna Taylor was sleeping and ultimately killed her were charged Thursday with civil rights violations. The Justice Department announced of the charged was a former detective who was fired for lying about the search warrant that sparked the raid leading to her death.

According to The USA Today, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the charges against former officers Joshua Jaynes, Brett Hankison, Kelly Goodlett, and Sgt. Kyle Meany.

During the announcement, Garland said, “Breonna Taylor should be alive today.”

Taylor was killed by Louisville officers who knocked down the door of her apartment, executing a search warrant. Taylor’s unit was the wrong home. As officers entered the home, Taylor’s boyfriend fired a shot at the officers, who returned fire and killed Taylor with six shots. In total, 32 shots were fired by police officers.

In reaction to the news, civil-rights attorney Ben Crump stated the charges were a “huge step toward justice.”

Hankinson faces two civil-rights charges for “unconstitutionally excessive force during the raid on Ms. Taylor’s home” and acted “without a lawful objective justifying the use of deadly force.”

During the raid, bullets flew into the neighbor’s apartment. The participating officers state the officers participating in the raid did not know of the creation of the warrant.

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