Kentucky cops shot
Officers expected to recover
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville braced for a second night of protests Thursday after two police officers were shot during demonstrations over a decision by a grand jury not to file homicide charges against police in the deadly shooting of Breonna Taylor.
Protests erupted in the Kentucky city Wednesday after the state attorney general announced that a grand jury did not bring any charges for the six police bullets that struck Taylor, a Black woman, but instead lesser charges against one of the white police officers for stray shots that hit the neighbouring apartment.
Civil rights activists decried the outcome as a miscarriage of justice and part of a nationwide pattern of unwarranted police violence against minorities.
The demonstration started peacefully and emotionally Wednesday night with many protesters in tears after they had mourned Taylor for months, demanding the arrest of the officers involved.
Louisville turned violent after dark when two officers were shot and wounded.
Police arrested 127 people in Louisville, including Larynzo Johnson, 26, who was charged with two counts of assault in the first degree and 14 counts of wanton endangerment in connection with the wounding of the officers.
“We are extremely fortunate these two officers will recover,” interim Louisville Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Schroeder said.
Taylor's death March 13 drew little national attention at first, but was thrust into prominence after George Floyd's death May 25 in Minneapolis and with the help of celebrities, including some Hollywood stars and basketball great LeBron James. Demonstrations under the banner “Say her name!” have been held in Louisville for months.
Taylor, 26, an emergency medical technician and aspiring nurse, was killed in front of her armed boyfriend after the three officers forced their way into her home with a search warrant in a drug-trafficking investigation.