
Looks like Louisville is in for more destructive violence by those on the left. After the verdict was read in the Breonna Taylor case, anarchists were seen in the streets pulling shields from a pre-positioned U-Haul truck, and thousands were marching, some armed. Fights have broken out between protesters and police and private property has been destroyed. National Guard humvees are in the streets and armed members of militias have been seen, also. Videos below.
FOX News is reporting on the verdict:
“One of three police officers involved in the Louisville, Ky., drug operation that led to the death of Breonna Taylor in March 2020 was indicted Wednesday on criminal charges.
Officer Brett Hankison, who was fired in June, was indicted on three counts of wanton endangerment in the first degree, a Jefferson County grand jury decided Wednesday. Neither the grand jury nor the presiding judge elaborated on the charges.
A warrant has been issued for Hankison’s arrest and a bond is set at $15,000 cash.
No charges were announced against the two other officers involved in the raid — Myles Cosgrove and Sgt. Johnathan Mattingly, who was shot in the leg and underwent surgery after the police operation that resulted in Taylor’s death.
Unreal chaos in #Louisville, Kentucky pic.twitter.com/fTl3QnEFmP
— SV News ? (@SVNewsAlerts) September 23, 2020
The indictment was announced 194 days after Taylor, a 26-year-old Black emergency medical worker, was shot six times by the officers who entered her home using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation on March 13.
While the BLM crowd was marching in Louisville, a U Haul truck pulled up with shields and supplies for the group to use. pic.twitter.com/VestCPdyTk
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) September 23, 2020
An investigation found that the bullets fired by Hankison traveled into the neighboring apartment while three residents were home – a male, a pregnant female, and a child, Attorney General Daniel Cameron said at a press conference after the grand jury’s announcement. Hankinson was not charged in Taylor’s death, but rather for endangering her neighbors’ lives.
Protesters surround a man trying to defend his business, and begin smashing the windows #Louisville #BreonnaTaylor #LouisvilleProtests pic.twitter.com/ZeMAuccr4e
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) September 23, 2020
Hankinson faces up to five years on each of three counts if convicted, Cameron said.
“The decision before my office as the special prosecutor, in this case, was not to decide if the loss of Ms. Taylor’s life was a tragedy. The answer to that is unequivocally, ‘yes,'” Cameron said. “I understand that Breonna Taylor’s death is part of a national story, but the facts and evidence in this case are different than others…
Black Lives Matter activists are now destroying outdoor restaurants in Louisville, throwing tables and chairs and smashing windows. pic.twitter.com/DvJLCs01Ie
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) September 23, 2020
“If we simply act on emotion or outrage, there is no justice,” Cameron said. “Mob justice is not justice. Justice sought by violence is not justice. It just becomes revenge.”
One person shouted at Louisville police, “All y’all get ready to fucking die!” pic.twitter.com/dTHVDeKjCT
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) September 23, 2020
Despite executing a no-knock warrant, Cameron’s office determined based on interviews with neighbors that the officers did announce themselves before busting down the door of the apartment occupied by Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker. Cameron said Mattingly and Cosgrove were justified under Kentucky law in their use of force after being fired upon by Walker and his office will not pursue criminal charges against them.
A militia group marches up 7th St. in downtown Louisville. They wouldn’t identify their group, but I know I’ve seen some here before. #BreonnaTaylor #Louisville @WDRBNews pic.twitter.com/1Og09rdL38
— Chad K. Mills (@ChadKMills) September 23, 2020
“According to Kentucky law, the use of force by Mattingly and Cosgrove was justified to protect themselves. This justification bars us from pursuing criminal charges in Miss Breonna Taylor’s death,” Cameron said.
The BLM crowd was marching in the street until they were stopped by Louisville police in riot gear. The police moved in and rioters started to fight with the police and arrests have been made. pic.twitter.com/Y9lAV76SJP
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) September 23, 2020
Walker was charged with the attempted murder of a police officer, but local prosecutors later dropped the charge. He told police he heard knocking but didn’t know who was coming into the home and fired in self-defense.
Cameron said FBI ballistics determined that the fatal shot that killed Taylor was fired by Cosgrove.
The National Guard is on standby in Louisville as the city braces for severe unrest in the wake of the Breonna Taylor announcement #Louisville #BreonnaTaylor pic.twitter.com/roViaqE6Lt
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) September 23, 2020
Immediately after the announcement, people expressed frustration that the grand jury did not do more.
I don’t know what I just witnessed pic.twitter.com/m7PGmpSUH9
— Bailey Loosemore (@bloosemore) September 23, 2020
Large crowds of protesters began to march outside the barricaded zone set up by police around Jefferson Square Park after the grand jury decision and blocked intersections, but there were no initial confrontations with law enforcement. A U-Haul van was seen pulling up with large shields and other supplies for demonstrators. Large placards had messages advocating to Abolish Police and Abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Police arrest some protesters in Louisville, Ky., after marches erupt over Breonna Taylor announcement; local media reports chemical irritant used pic.twitter.com/MqZftd5wXP
— Tony (@Mrtdogg) September 23, 2020
The warrant used to search Taylor’s home was connected to a suspect who did not live there, and no drugs were found inside. The use of no-knock warrants has since been banned by Louisville’s Metro Council.
National guard loading up now in Louisville. pic.twitter.com/gY9mTp1Qgb
— Tony (@Mrtdogg) September 23, 2020
Hankison was fired from the Louisville Metro Police Department on June 23. A termination letter sent to him by interim Louisville Police Chief Robert Schroeder said the White officer had violated procedures by showing “extreme indifference to the value of human life” when he “wantonly and blindly” shot 10 rounds of gunfire into Taylor’s apartment in March.
.@BGOnTheScene was surrounded and pushed out (for filming, I believe). He’s okay: pic.twitter.com/zi3fV2fuR4
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) September 23, 2020
Hankison, Mattingly, Cosgrove, and the detective who sought the warrant, Joshua Jaynes, were placed on administrative reassignment after the shooting. On Sept. 15, the city of Louisville settled a lawsuit against the three officers brought by Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, agreeing to pay her $12 million and enact police reforms.”
Police officers surround the crowd after some pushing and shoving. Multiple people have been detained and some crowd control munitions were deployed: pic.twitter.com/d5z8elO5Dj
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) September 23, 2020
I’ve covered riots & looting in Portland and Sacramento, but Louisville looks like it could be worse than the violence those cities have seen. Stay safe if you’re over there!
Jeff Rainforth is a freelance photographer & news editor covering events on the US/Mexico border, and riots & unrest in Democrat-run cities.
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