Newly released interview audio reveal cops in deadly midnight raid that killed Breonna Taylor in Louisville went with battering rams into a ‘soft target’; Lead detective claims officers ‘rightfully’ returned fire at victim’s boyfriend by shooting 22 times
Audio recordings from the investigation into the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor by Louisville Police have shed light on the events leading up to her death
It shows that cops in deadly midnight raid on Breonna Taylor’s apt went in with battering rams even though it was a ‘soft target’
The 26-year-old EMT was shot dead on March 13 during a raid carried out by Sgt Jonathan Mattingly, Detectives Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove
During the interview Sgt Jonathan Mattingly, who led the raid, is heard insisting officers knocked on the door
Despite his later claims that ‘It was the most passive way to serve a warrant’ cops in deadly midnight raid on Breonna Taylor’s apartment went in with battering rams even though it was a ‘soft target’
The detective who lead the disastrous raid believes they ‘rightfully’ returned fire at Taylor’s boyfriend by shooting 22 times into the residence
During the interview Sgt Jonathan Mattingly, who led the raid, is heard insisting officers knocked on the door – which has been disputed by the victim’s relatives
Taylor was killed on March 13 when she was struck 8 times by bullets struck by police firing blindingly into her home Taylor’s family
Taylor’s death has sparked nationwide protests demanding the three officers involved – Mattingly and Detectives Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove – be arrested and charged, none of which has happened
A suit filed by Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, suggests that her daughter’s slaying was a result of a warrant search that had already been called off that night
The family of Breonna Taylor, [photo], claim cops executed fatal no-knock warrant against her home despite the search being called off earlier that night
Newly-released audio recordings from the investigation into the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor reveal Louisville Police officers arrived at her home with battering rams despite it being considered a ‘soft target’ and cops admitting they did not ‘anticipate a threat.’
Police interviews with Sergeant John Mattingly, who led the late-night raid on March 13, and Taylor’s boyfriend Kenneth Walker, who was at the home during the shooting, were obtained by NBC News.
The audio clips have shed new light on the moments leading up to death of the 26-year-old EMT, who was shot eight times after cops barged into her home at 1am while operating on a warrant during a drug investigation.
![Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly [left], and Detectives Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove [right] 1](https://i0.wp.com/konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Sgt.-Jonathan-Mattingly-left-and-Detectives-Brett-Hankison-and-Myles-Cosgrove-right-1.jpg?resize=620%2C350&ssl=1)
Not one of the three officers in the case, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly [left], Det. Brett Hankison [center], or Det. Myles Cosgrove, has not been charged in the shooting despite protests
A demonstrator holds a sign with the image of Breonna Taylor in Denver on June 3, 2020. – Taylor’s death has sparked nationwide protests demanding the three officers involved – Mattingly and Detectives Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove – be arrested and charged, none of which has happened
It also reveals Walker had spoken to police after he was ‘encouraged’ to waive his Miranda Rights.
Taylor’s death has sparked nationwide protests demanding the three officers involved – Mattingly and Detectives Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove – be arrested and charged.
The police officers’ version of events have been disputed by Walker and Taylor’s family, who say the cops never identified themselves as police upon arrival.
In the 40-minute clip of his interview, Mattingly is heard insisting that officers banged on the door twice and shouted, ‘Police, search warrant!’
He confirmed that police knocked because they considered Taylor’s home a ‘soft target’ and anticipated ‘no threat.’
Mattingly said the knocking lasted 45 seconds – which he described as enough time for ‘the average person, or even a disabled person’ to react – before they rammed the door.
In interviews with Walker, he said he and Taylor, who were watching a movie in their bedroom, shouted, ‘who is it?’ but did not hear a response, prompting him to grab his gun over fears of an intruder.
Walker was questioned over the incident by Sgt Amanda Seelye, at 4 in the morning, hours after the shooting.
Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend Kenneth Walker [right] was at the home the night of the fatal raid and had fired his licensed gun fearing the cops were intruders. He was hit in the leg by one of the hail of bullets that cops fired into the home. Taylor died after she was struck by eight bullets
Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT who had no criminal record and worked for two local hospitals, was killed after police fired at least 20 rounds into her home, according to a lawsuit filed by her family
He admitted he was ‘scared about what to say’, before Seelye reassured him they just wanted to know what happened and told him it would ‘be good’ for him to sign the waiver to get his statement.
‘And then we can leave you alone,’ she says.
Walker had fired a ‘warning’ shot, thinking someone was breaking in, before gunfire broke out from police.
The family’s lawsuit states Mattingly and the other officers serving the warrant, Cosgrove and Hankison, then began shooting ‘erratically, recklessly, willfully, wantonly and maliciously from inside the home, outside the home, outside a neighbor’s home, outside Breonna’s patio door and outside the window to Breonna’s sister’s room.’
Taylor was struck by bullets in the hallway and suffered eight gunshot wounds.
Mattingly confirmed in interviews that police had fired 16 times.
This is the home where Breonna and her boyfriend Kenneth were watching a movie late at night on March 13, before a team of Louisville Police rammed the door during a raid
Walker was arrested and charged with first-degree assault and attempted murder of a police officer after Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly was shot in the leg during the raid.
The attempted murder charge against Walker was later dropped.
Hankison, 44, was later fired after it was found he violated department policies by ‘blindly’ firing 10 rounds into Taylor’s home during the incident. The two other cops have been placed on administrative reassignment.
The family’s suit, which named the three officers as defendants, said Taylor lived for another five or six minutes after she was shot but an ambulance was not on the scene.
The complaint also said police conducted a concerted effort to remove Glover and other alleged drug dealers from a residential area near downtown to make way for a new development with federal funding.
Louisville police executed a no-knock warrant against Breonna Taylor’s home in search of suspects with no connection to her. Infact the search previously called it off, her family claims
Louisville police went through with a warrant search on Breonna Taylor’s apartment despite it being previously called off, her family says in a new court filing.
The family of the 26-year-old EMT, who was fatally shot in her home by police operating on a no-knock warrant, has alleged that the drug suspect linked with Taylor had been located elsewhere earlier that night, resulting in the end of the need for the warrant.
They claim, however, that officers continued to carry out the deadly raid, looking for suspects who had no connection to Taylor.
National civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, said that the officers involved ‘exhibited outrageous, RECKLESS, willful, wanton & UNLAWFUL conduct’ and that they ‘should NEVER have been at Breonna Taylor’s home in the first place’.
The suit, filed by Tamika Palmer [photo], suggests that her daughter’s slaying was a result of a warrant search that had already been called off that night
The suit, filed by Taylor’s mother Tamika Palmer suggests that her daughter’s slaying was a result of a warrant search that had already been called off that night.
Taylor was killed on March 13 when officers burst into her apartment in the early morning hours. She had been asleep moments before her death.
The shooting set off weeks of protests, policy changes and a call for the officers who shot Taylor to be criminally charged.
‘Connecting the dots, it’s clear that these officers should never have been at Breonna Taylor’s home in the first place, and that they invaded the residence with no probable cause,’ Crump said in a statement.
Crump and other Louisville attorneys are representing Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, in a civil lawsuit, which was amended this week to include new allegations about the night of the shooting.
‘The officers who ROBBED Bre of her LIFE – and Tamika of her daughter – exhibited outrageous, RECKLESS, willful, wanton & UNLAWFUL conduct,’ Crump added in a tweet.
National civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, announced the fresh allegations that Taylor’s family has added to their civil lawsuit over her shooting
‘This is a grievous offense against Breonna, her family, and the greater Louisville community, Crump twitted.
Louisville police have declined to comment on the investigation, and an internal probe of the officer’s actions has been turned over to the Kentucky attorney general for review.
The FBI is also investigating potential civil rights violations by the police.
The warrant used to enter Taylor’s home just after midnight was secured by police observing an alleged drug dealer, identified in the complaint as ‘JG,’ at Taylor’s home two months earlier.
Police had been searching for Jamarcus Glover, [photo], who was arrested that night more than ten miles away and with whom Taylor had a previous relationship. Glover, was arrested that night more than ten miles away,
Taylor and the man had a prior relationship, the family’s suit said.
But that man, Jamarcus Glover, was arrested that night more than ten miles away, though two other suspects the police were looking for were not with Glover, the suit said.
Those suspects, identified in the suit as ‘AW’ and ‘DC’ never had a relationship with Taylor and neither looked like Kenneth Walker, Taylor’s boyfriend who was with her the night she was shot, the court filing said.
The suit said ‘AW’ lived at a separate address that police also had a warrant for, but they proceeded to search Taylor’s house to see if he or the other man were there.
An ambulance that had been stationed near Taylor’s apartment in anticipation of the initial search had been called off, the suit said.
It said the EMS unit was cleared because police ‘had never actually intended to raid Breonna’s home unless (Glover) was there.’
‘As such, it does indeed appear that the (police) “hit the wrong house” when they went to Springfield (Taylor’s apartment), rather than actually hitting the house in which the target was actually located,’ the 31-page complaint added.
Police arrived at Taylor’s apartment about 12:40 a.m. and banged on the door but did not announce that they were police officers, the suit said.
Louisville police have said they knocked and announced their presence at the apartment.
Renderings that show homes on Elliott Avenue ‘to be demolished’ is part of the $30million redevelopment plan of the area is part of lawsuit filed by Taylor’s family
Taylor’s neighbors and her family dispute this.
After the door was knocked down by a battering ram, Officer Jonathan Mattingly went inside and was shot in the leg by Walker, who has said he didn’t know who was entering the apartment and was firing a warning shot.
Mattingly and the other officers serving the warrant, Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankison, then began shooting ‘erratically, recklessly, willfully, wantonly and maliciously from inside the home, outside the home, outside a neighbor’s home, outside Breonna’s patio door and outside the window to Breonna’s sister´s room,’ the suit said.
Taylor was struck by bullets in the hallway and suffered eight gunshot wounds.
Walker was arrested and charged with first-degree assault and attempted murder of a police officer after Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly was shot in the leg during the raid.
The attempted murder charge against Walker was later dropped.
Hankison, 44, was later fired after it was found he violated department policies by ‘blindly’ firing 10 rounds into Taylor’s home during the incident. The two other cops have been placed on administrative reassignment.
The redevelopment plan for Elliot includes a revitalized Beecher Terrace public housing development component, seeing in
In this photo, a bullet hole is seen in the shattered glass window after the raid on Taylor’s apartment in southwest Jefferson County on March 3this rendering
The family’s suit, which named the three officers as defendants, said Taylor lived for another five or six minutes after she was shot but an ambulance was not on the scene.
The complaint also said police conducted a concerted effort to remove Glover and other alleged drug dealers from a residential area near downtown to make way for a new development with federal funding.
The family claims the botched raid was linked to a plan to clear out Louisville neighborhoods so a $30million gentrification project could move forward.
Glover was one of the ‘primary roadblocks’ to the area’s redevelopment, according to the lawsuit published in The Courier Journal.
Jean Porter, a spokeswoman for Mayor Greg Fischer, called the allegations ‘outrageous’ and ‘without foundation or supporting facts.’
Other advocates of the project, including Mary Ellen Weiderwohl, who leads the city community development group Louisville Forward, said those allegations in the suit are a ‘gross mischaracterization’ of a plan to build new affordable housing in low-income areas.
Officer Brett Hankison [left], has been fired by the Louisville Police Dept. Hankison was one of three cops involved in Breonna Taylor’s death in March has been fired. Still no charges have been brought in the Taylor [right], killing
Police misconduct: Taylor was in bed in her home that night with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker [photo]. Walker who was licensed to carry a firearm, fired his gun thinking that they being burglarized. He was arrested and charged with attempted murder of a police officer. After the shooting police cajoled Walker into waiving his Miranda Rights before giving a statement.
The warrant, which was approved the day before Taylor died, had been based on a detective’s belief that Glover used Taylor’s residence to receive mail, keep drugs, or stash money from the sale of drugs.
Detective Joshua Jaynes wrote in an affidavit seeking the no-knock search warrant that he spotted Glover leave Taylor’s apartment in January with a US Postal Service package before driving to a ‘known drug house.’
Jaynes claimed that he had verified Glover was receiving mail at Taylor’s address, ‘through a US Postal Inspector’.
Kentucky state police to review fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor
However, a Louisville postal inspector told WDRB that a different agency had reached out about Glover receiving suspicious mail at the home, a claim that was determined unfounded.
Jaynes now is on administrative reassignment as the department looks into how the search warrant was approved, interim Louisville Metro Police Chief Robert Schroeder said last month.
‘When the layers are peeled back, the origin of Breonna’s home being raided by police starts with a political need to clear out a street for a large real estate development project and finishes with a newly formed, rogue police unit violating all levels of policy, protocol and policing standards,’ the family’s attorneys claim.
‘Breonna’s death was the culmination of radical political and police conduct.’
Sgt. Jon Mattingy [photo], who led the raid reportedly obtained the warrant after he gave a judge details that were not true about the case
The Place-Based Investigations squad, which executed the search warrant, was formed to go after criminals in ‘systemically violent locations’ and support other law enforcement activities, according to the department’s organizational structure.
‘PBI focuses on identifying and disrupting crime place networks,’ said the department on its website.
‘These networks include crime sites, but also places used by offenders that do not typically come to the attention of police. PBI will collaborate with other government and community partners to identify and eliminate violence facilitators.’
Jaynes, according to court records, obtained five warrants, including one for Taylor’s apartment on Elliott Avenue, on March 12. Warrants also were obtained for two vacant homes nearby, also on Elliott Avenue, and an alleged stash house on West Muhammad Ali Boulevard.
Glover and a second suspect named Adrian Walker were in all five warrants.
‘The reality was that the occupants were not anywhere close to Louisville’s versions of Pablo Escobar or Scarface,’ the family’s lawsuit says.
‘And they were not violent criminals. They were simply a setback to a large real estate development deal and thus the issue needed to be cleaned up.’
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