The Louisville Metro Police Department declared a state of emergency on Monday “in anticipation” of the announcement in the Breonna Taylor case, an internal memo reveals.
“LMPD (Louisville police) declare State of Emergency in preparation for Grand Jury announcement on Breonna Taylor,” journalist Cal Perry reported Monday. “Still no word on when – most expect this week.”
“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),” wrote Chief of Police Robert J. Schroeder.
“To ensure that we have the appropriate level of staffing to provide for public safety services and our policing functions, effective immediately the LMPD will operate under the emergency staffing and reporting guidelines as outlined in the Standard Operating Procedures, Emergency Response Plan, and collective bargaining agreements until further notice,” the memo outlined.
LMPD (Louisville police) declare State of Emergency in preparation for Grand Jury announcement on Breonna Taylor.
Still no word on when – most expect this week. pic.twitter.com/I5Kads0n4l
— Cal Perry (@CalNBC) September 21, 2020
The state of emergency declaration means the “departments are operating on emergency staffing and reporting, which cancels off-days and previously unapproved vacation requests,” CBS News noted. “The emergency announcement, which does not extend to the city itself, was created to ensure departments had the ‘appropriate level of staffing to provide for public safety services.'”
Taylor was fatally shot by plainclothes officers who raided the 26-year-old’s Louisville, Kentucky, home in March. One officer involved in the incident has been fired and two others remain on the force.
Though the narrative surrounding Taylor’s death promotes the idea that she was killed when officers raided her home without knocking, media reports and testimony indicate that officers involved did knock before the raid, though a “no-knock” warrant was obtained.
“Our intent was to give her give plenty of time to come to the door because they said she was probably there alone,” said Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, one of the three officers who discharged their weapons inside Taylor’s home, The Daily Wire reported.
CNN similarly reported: “Taylor’s apartment, according to police, was considered a less volatile, ‘soft target.’ As such, police commanders decided in advance to have officers knock and announce their presence before entry. That decision was communicated in a pre-operational briefing, according to a source familiar with the details of the operation who requested anonymity due to the ongoing investigation…”
“When there was no answer after repeated knocks, Mattingly said, he announced he was a police officer there to serve a search warrant,” the report added.
As noted by The Daily Wire, Taylor’s boyfriend Kenneth Walker “said the couple had awoken but did not know who was at the door. As they scrambled to get dressed, Walker grabbed his gun, which he was reportedly licensed to carry.”
Following the incident, Walker was arrested and indicted by a grand jury six days later for the attempted murder of a police officer. However, The Daily Wire notes, the indictment was later dismissed.
“So I just let off one shot,” Walker admitted, according to CNN. “I still can’t see who it is or anything.”
“No evidence has been presented indicating that Mattingly was shot by anyone other than Walker, and attorneys for Walker and Taylor’s family haven’t disputed that it was Walker who shot Mattingly,” the Courier-Journal reported.
The WNBA has dedicated its entire season to Taylor, and numerous celebrities and politicos have demanded “justice” for the young woman, including Beyonce and former first lady Michelle Obama.
Related: 7 Myths & Misconceptions About The Breonna Taylor Case