Thursday, March 28, 2024

Officer Involved in Breonna Taylor Shooting Said ‘We Did the Ethical Thing That Night’

Cops who murdered Breonna Taylor
Jonathan Mattingly, Myles Cosgrove, Brett Hankison (photo via Twitter.com)

*One of the Louisville officers involved in the killing of Breonna Taylor insists he and his colleagues did nothing wrong on the night of the botched raid. 

Taylor, 26, was shot eight times while sleeping in her bed with boyfriend Kenneth Walker when three plain clothes officers performed a no-knock arrest warrant at her Louisville apartment on March 13.  

Three undercover officers, Myles Cosgrove, Brett Hankison and Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, conducted an improper raid when they burst into Taylor’s home and fired at least 22 times.

Taylor was shot several times and died. One officer involved in her death was fired, the other two remain on the police force. 

READ MORE: Louisville Police Declare State of Emergency ‘In Anticipation’ of Announcement in Breonna Taylor Case

Mattingly sent a mass email to his department earlier this week, in which he defended his actions and slammed Mayor Greg Fischer, Public Safety Chief Amy Hess, and former Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad, per Complex.

The message, addressed to his “LMPD family,” begins “I’m here to tell you I’m sorry you have to go through this…. I’m sorry for the Mayor, Amy Hess, and Chief Conrad failed us in epic proportions for their own gain and to cover their asses.”

He goes on to call protesters “thugs.”

“You DO NOT DESERVE to be in this position. The position that allows thugs to get in your face and yell, curse, and degrade you. Throw bricks, bottles, and urine on you and expect you to do nothing … Your civil rights mean nothing, but the criminal has total autonomy,” he wrote.

The email was sent as Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron prepares to announce whether officers involved in Taylor’s death will face criminal charges. 

We previously reported.. the Louisville Metro Police Department is currently under a state of emergency “in anticipation” of the announcement.

The state of emergency suggests police officials are expecting an hostile response from the public once the announcement is made. 

“… Regardless of the outcome (of the Kentucky attorney general’s decision) today or Wednesday, I know we did the legal, moral and ethical thing that night,” Mattingly continued. “It’s sad how the good guys are demonized, and the criminals are canonized.”

In a statement to CNN, Mattingly’s lawyer confirmed his client sent the email. 

“Sgt. Mattingly sent an email to his colleagues last evening, expressing his support for them and their work in these difficult times,” Kent Wicker said. “As you will recall, he was shot and severely injured while serving this warrant. Like our entire community, he is hopeful that this process moves forward quickly, and that his fellow officers and the people of Louisville remain safe.”

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