A spokesperson for the Louisville Metro Police Department confirmed Wednesday that two officers involved in the raid that led to Breonna Taylor‘s death were terminated from the force.
What We Know:
- Detective Joshua Jaynes, who secured the warrant for the March 13th raid on Taylor’s home, and Detective Myles Cosgrove, who investigators said fired the shot that killed the 26-year-old healthcare worker, were dismissed from the force as of Tuesday.
- In the termination letters to Cosgrove and Jaynes, interim Police Chief Yvette Gentry, said each officer had violated department policy. The documents explain that Jaynes had acted in contrast of department protocols when preparing the search warrant. Regarding Cosgrove, LMPD said he violated department procedures including on the use of deadly force and failing to operate his officer-worn body camera.
“The evidence in this case revealed a sustained untruthfulness violation based on information included in an affidavit completed by you and submitted to a judge,” reads the letter. “It is my decision to terminate your employment based on that evidence.”
- The letter further reveals that Cosgrove had fired 16 shots into Taylor’s apartment, hitting her twice. “The shots you fired went in three different directions, indicating you did not verify a threat or have target acquisition,” the letter to Cosgrove continues. “In other words, the evidence shows that you fired wildly at unidentified subjects or targets located within the apartment.”
- Despite being among the latest to be terminated from LMPD, none of the officers who fired their weapons during the raid face criminal charges for Taylor’s death. One former officer, Brett Hankison, was indicted in September on three counts of wanton endangerment for his shooting into a neighboring apartment.
- The Kentucky attorney general, Daniel Cameron, said that Cosgrove and another officer, Jonathan Mattingly, “were justified in their use of force”. Oppositely, three grand jurors have said they not only disagreed with Cameron’s decision, but also said they pressed for more charges to be considered, but those requests were dismissed prosecutors.
The announcement comes on the same day Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced the hiring of Erika Shields, who previously led the Atlanta Police Department, as LMPD’s next police chief. In a press conference Wednesday morning, Fischer announced that Shields will be sworn in on Jan. 19.
