Two Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officers have been shot in downtown Louisville amid growing unrest surrounding the handling of officer-involved shooting case of Breonna Taylor earlier this year, the department has confirmed.
The officers were shot shortly before 8:30 p.m. Wednesday just ahead of a 9 p.m. curfew.
LMPD interim police Chief Robert Schroeder said during a press briefing that both officers were in a stable condition with non-life threatening injuries. One was still undergoing surgery while the other was now alert in the care of Louisville University Hospital. Their identities have not been released.
One person has been taken into custody in connection with the shootings, Schroeder added.
The shooting came shortly after a Kentucky grand jury brought no murder charges against any of the Louisville police officers involved in Taylor’s death during a warranted drug trafficking investigation gone wrong on March 13.
One police officer, Brett Hankison, was indicted for wanton endangerment after he blindly fired 10 shots into Taylor’s apartment when his colleague was shot in the leg by Taylor’s boyfriend. The late night search was not a “no-knock” one, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a Republican, confirmed—repudiating months of false reporting that police officers did not announce their presence.
Potential violations of federal law in connection with the raid are still being investigated by the FBI.
It remains unclear if the shootings are related to the protests that followed the court’s decision.
The FBI Louisville SWAT team said it responded to the shooting incident and will continue to assist in the investigation.
No further information about the shooting has been made available. The Epoch Times has contacted the department for comment.
President Donald Trump said on Twitter that he was praying for the two officers and that the federal government stood ready to help Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear if called on for support.
Praying for the two police officers that were shot tonight in Louisville, Kentucky. The Federal Government stands behind you and is ready to help. Spoke to @GovAndyBeshear and we are prepared to work together, immediately upon request!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2020
Beshear also said he was thinking of the “two officers and their families tonight” during a press conference.
He urged those who remained out on the streets to “please go home tonight.”
“Let’s make sure we don’t see any more violence tonight, and let’s make sure we find ways of expressing ourselves moving forward where your point and other people’s points are made, and that hopefully we can not just listen, but we can hear.”
Black Lives Matter protesters and agitators had started marching from Jefferson Square Park to Broadway in Louisville on Tuesday evening after Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer declared a state of emergency, signing two executive orders “which allows him to exercise any of his emergency powers.” The order was issued earlier this week.
On Wednesday, streamed footage of the growing protests showed protesters calling for violence, with some saying they should burn the city down.
The National Guard was activated, according to reporters in the city around midday. Some protesters were arrested.
In March, Taylor was fatally shot six times in her home by officers who had announced themselves before executing a search warrant.
But when no one answered or opened the door, officers breached the door. Kenneth Walker, the boyfriend, later told police he heard knocking but didn’t know who was coming into the home and opened fire in self-defense. Officers then returned fire, killing Taylor.
Taylor’s family settled with the city for $12 million last week.
Zachary Stieber, Jack Phillips, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
From The Epoch Times
