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Louisville Police Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Breonna Taylor Decision
At the moment, a hold has been placed on officers' vacation requests and barriers have been set up around downtown Louisville.
Police in Louisville, Kentucky are currently under “state of emergency” rules ahead of the grand jury decision which will decide Breonna Taylor’s case. Taylor, an emergency medical technician was fatally shot earlier this year during a raid at her apartment in March, she died in her hallway.
NBC News reports Louisville Metropolitan Police Chief Robert J. Schroeder told officers the guidelines would be effective immediately. “In anticipation of Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s announcement in the Breonna Taylor case, I am declaring a state of emergency for the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD),” read the memo.
Additionally, the declaration temporarily prohibits officers' vacation requests and cancels any time-off requests that have not already been approved. Officers are also set to work 12-hour shifts as a part of the department’s emergency plan. A news release detailed that barriers will be set up around downtown Louisville.
Immediately following this "state of emergency," social media users began declaring this as a sign the officers wouldn't be charged for their role in the "botched" raid. Throughout the entire summer, Taylor's death has served as a rallying cry for protestors and activists in the U.S.
\u201c@henrynathanmia @ShimonPro All signs are pointing to Daniel Cameron not charging the cops. It's going to be really bad. I can't think of any other reasons for a state of emergency being declared, fed courthouse being closed for the week, and barricades being set up around LMPD HQ.\u201d— Shimon Prokupecz (@Shimon Prokupecz) 1600718154
\u201cLMPD gearing up for a war I guess\u201d— \ud83c\udf3d\ud83c\udf3d Erica, The White Trash Socialist \ud83c\udf3d\ud83c\udf3d\u2122\ufe0f (@\ud83c\udf3d\ud83c\udf3d Erica, The White Trash Socialist \ud83c\udf3d\ud83c\udf3d\u2122\ufe0f) 1600727088
A decision will be announced in regards to Taylor's shooting today (Wednesday) at 1:30 pm est. On Monday, the Louisville Courier Journal reported that the LMPD’s Professional Standards Unit have placed six officers under investigation for their involvement in Taylor’s death. This unit investigates whether officers broke department policies. Alongside Myles Cosgrove, Jonathan Mattingly, Joshua Jaynes, Tony James, Michael Campbell, and Michael Nobles are involved in the internal review. Brett Hankinson was fired for “blindly” firing his weapon into the apartment.
This investigation is separate from the one conducted by the LMPD’s Public Integrity Unit. This unit’s findings have already been shared with Cameron.
Last week, Louisville settled a wrongful death suit filed by Taylor's family for $12 million. The settlement did not require the city to admit any wrongdoing, per NBC. Back in April, her mother, Tamika Palmer sued the three officers involved in the violent raid.
