Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend Kenneth Walker settled lawsuits with the City of Louisville for a combined $2 million dollars, his lawyers announced Monday, more than two years after her death in a police raid, according to The Associated Press.
Police broke down Taylor’s Louisville apartment door on the night of March 23, 2020 while she and Walker were in bed, fatally shooting her after Walker fired a shot out of alleged belief that an intruder was trying to break in, the outlet reported. The City of Louisville has now agreed to pay Walker $2 million for federal and state lawsuit settlements, according to his lawyers.
Police knocked down Taylor’s door with a battering ram and Walker’s shot hit then-Sgt. John Mattingly’s leg, after which officers began shooting and Taylor was fatally wounded, according to the AP. Authorities dropped an initial charge against Walker of attempted murder of a police officer amid spring 2020 protests and press coverage of the case.
“He will live with the effects of being put in harm’s way due to a falsified warrant, to being a victim of a hailstorm of gunfire and to suffering the unimaginable and horrific death of Breonna Taylor,” Walker attorney Steve Romines stated, according to the AP.
Mattingly claimed police knocked multiple times and said, “Police, search warrant!” before breaking down Taylor’s door.
A Kentucky jury acquitted former officer Brett Hankison, who fired his weapon during the raid, of wanton endangerment in March 2022, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The Justice Department indicted former LMPD Detective Joshua Jaynes, then-Sergeant Kyle Meany and then-Detective Kelly Goodlett in early August for roles in allegedly falsifying the affidavit and a search warrant to enter Taylor’s apartment without warning, which police had claimed was secured because they thought Jamarcus Glover, Taylor’s ex-boyfriend, was using the residence for illegal drug sales.
Goodlett subsequently pleaded guilty and confessed to helping to falsely associate a wanted drug dealer with Taylor, the AP reported.
“He will live with the effects of being put in harm’s way due to a falsified warrant, to being a victim of a hailstorm of gunfire and to suffering the unimaginable and horrific death of Breonna Taylor,” Romines said.
“LMPD has no comment to offer at this time,” the Louisville Metro Police Department told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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