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A28 u.s. news
Diahuebs 7 Januari 2021

2 detectives involved in Breonna Taylor's death are fired

(AP) — Two more offi- for Taylor for six months,
cers involved in the fatal and they vowed to stay in the
shooting of Breonna Tay- streets until all the officers
lor have been fired — a involved were fired or some-
detective believed to have one was charged with her
fired the fatal shot and killing.
another who sought the Three grand jurors have since
search warrant that led to come forward to say that
the deadly raid, authori- Cameron did not allow the
ties announced Wednes- grand jury to consider homi-
day. cide-related charges against
the officers for Taylor’s death.
The announcement came Speaking anonymously, the
moments after city officials jurors said they believe they
said the former Atlanta police would have brought criminal
chief would soon take over charges against the officers if
the Louisville Police Depart- given the chance.
ment after months of unrest For months, Taylor’s name
over Taylor's death. Erika has been a rallying cry for ac-
Shields served in Atlanta for tivists protesting police kill-
25 years, including more ings of Black men and wom-
than three years as chief. Her en. Famous musicians, ac-
tenure ended when she re- tors, athletes and politicians
signed in June after Atlanta have called for the officers’
officers fatally shot a Black arrests.
man named Rayshard Brooks Trust between police and
in a restaurant parking lot. many in the city’s Black com-
Detectives Myles Cosgrove, munity has frayed since Tay-
who shot Taylor, and Joshua lor’s death, which sparked the
Jaynes, who sought the war- firing of the city’s longtime
rant for the March 13 drug came from Cosgrove. statements to internal inves- Jaynes, the detective who chief, Steve Conrad. Two in-
raid, were informed of their In Cosgrove’s dismissal let- tigators that he began firing sought the narcotics war- terim chiefs, including Gen-
firings on Tuesday. Their dis- ter, interim Police Chief at a “distorted shadowy mass” rant that led to the raid, was try, the first Black woman to
missals follow that of officer Yvette Gentry wrote that the after Taylor’s boyfriend fired “untruthful” about how he the lead the department, have
Brett Hankison, who was detective violated the depart- a single shot at officers. obtained some information served since Conrad was
fired in September after be- ment’s use-of-force policies “The shots you fired were in about Taylor in the warrant, fired in June.
ing indicted by a grand jury for firing 16 shots without three different directions, in- Gentry wrote. Jaynes was not Shields will be the fourth per-
on charges of endangering identifying a target and for dicating you did not verify a at the scene the night Taylor son to lead the police force in
Taylor’s neighbors by firing not activating his body cam- threat or have target acquisi- was shot. Kentucky’s largest city since
bullets that went through her era. Gentry cited Cosgrove’s tion,” Gentry wrote. In a May interview with Lou- Taylor was shot.
home and into an adjacent isville police investigators, “I commit to begin my work
apartment. Jaynes acknowledged that he here with a focus on rebuild-
Taylor, a 26-year-old Black did not personally verify that ing community trust, trust
emergency medical techni- a drug-trafficking suspect that I believe was already
cian, was killed as officers at- was receiving mail at Taylor’s eroding prior to Breonna
tempted to serve a no-knock apartment, even though he Taylor’s killing,” Shields said.
search warrant. None of the had said in an earlier affida- She also pledged to tackle gun
three white officers who fired vit that he had. Jaynes said he violence in the city, which
into her home were charged relied instead on information had a record 173 homicides
by a grand jury in her death. from a fellow officer. in 2020.
Investigators said Cos- “I acknowledge that you pre- Shields said she was “sick-
grove fired 16 rounds into pared the warrant in good ened” by Brooks’ shooting
the apartment after police faith,” Gentry wrote in a let- and that staying on as chief in
breached the front door and ter to Jaynes. “However you Atlanta would have amount-
Taylor’s boyfriend fired a failed to inform the judge ed to a distraction. To Louis-
shot at them. Federal ballis- that you had no contact with ville residents who might be
tics experts said they believe the US postal inspector.” upset over her hiring, Shields
the shot that killed Taylor Jaynes and Cosgrove have said she “would just ask that
been on administrative reas- people step back, take the
signment, along with another time to see what I accom-
officer who was at the raid, plished, what I believe in and
Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly. how I led the department.”
Mattingly was shot in the leg Shields starts the job on Jan.
by Taylor’s boyfriend, who 19.
said he thought an intruder A day earlier, a Wisconsin
was breaking into the home. prosecutor declined to file
Mattingly said in October charges against a white po-
that he intended to retire. lice officer who shot a Black
In September, Kentucky At- man in the back in August
torney General Daniel Cam- in Kenosha. The wound-
eron, who took on the role ing of Jacob Blake, who was
of special prosecutor in the left paralyzed, also sparked
case, said Cosgrove and Mat- protests over police brutality
tingly were not charged with and racism. Authorities con-
Taylor’s killing because they cluded that they could not
acted to protect themselves. disprove the officer’s conten-
The decision disappointed tion that he acted in self-de-
and angered protesters who fense because he feared Blake
have been calling for justice would stab him.