LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Just days after a grand jury brought no charges against the Louisville officers who shot and killed Breonna Taylor, evidence of the case is leaking on social media and websites. digital information, raising questions about the investigation into his death.
Video footage examined by the Courier Journal appearing to come from body cameras worn by Louisville subway police officers at Taylor’s apartment on March 13 shows potential violations of policies designed to maintain the integrity of the investigation.
In a clip released by digital site VICE News on Saturday, former detective Brett Hankison can be seen entering Taylor’s apartment as investigators work inside after his death.
Hankison was one of three officers who fired their guns at Taylor’s apartment that night, and he was later fired and charged with gratuitous endangerment when some of his bullets entered an occupied apartment next door of Taylor’s.
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Hankison, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove fired more than 30 shots after Taylor’s boyfriend Kenneth Walker fired when officers broke into the door trying to serve a “no knocking” search warrant. Walker said he didn’t realize it was the police.
In body camera footage posted to VICE, Hankison can be seen about a shell casing on the ground, saying, “Is it theirs?”
“It’s up to us, it seems,” replies an unidentified officer, before telling Hankison to “back off until they get PIU (the Public Integrity Unit) here.”
Hankison doesn’t come out right away, asking instead, “Are there any weapons visible?” as he shines a flashlight in the apartment. He then asks if there is a “long gun”.
The presence of the former detective at the scene of the crime would violate LMPD policies aimed at removing officers involved in a shooting from the ongoing investigation.
Video and other evidence from the Taylor investigation has been closely guarded.
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For months, the administration of Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and the LMPD refused to release the documents in the investigation file, prompting the Courier Journal to take legal action.
LMPD spokesman Lamont Washington declined to comment on Sunday, saying “the investigation file has not been released by the department at this time.” He added that the “internal review” of the case by the LMPD is ongoing, so it would be inappropriate to comment.
Fischer spokespersons did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron also declined to disclose evidence as part of his investigation. He set out his office’s findings on Wednesday after the grand jury announced his indictments, but did not release any supporting evidence.
But over the weekend other videos have surfaced on social networks, including an unidentified officer walking to the door of Taylor’s apartment and asking, “Is anyone here dead?”
Additionally, a Facebook account named “Julia Roberts” posted Snapchat videos containing snippets of apparent body camera footage posted by Kendrick Wilson.
Wilson told reporters on Sunday he obtained the footage from Sam Aguiar, an attorney for Breonna Taylor’s family, who had helped negotiate the family’s $ 12 million settlement with the city. He asked Aguiar to release more of the documents he obtained under seal, despite the regulation’s requirement that lawyers destroy that evidence.
Wilson has an ongoing harassment lawsuit filed in federal court against Hankison. Aguiar is his attorney in this case, taking over as Wilson’s attorney in August at no cost, the attorney said.
In a video clip posted by Wilson, an officer who he says is not Hankison says his cartridges went through Taylor’s window. In another, an officer can be heard saying that there was a “black woman” inside, with the gunman – indicating that police may have known Taylor had been seriously injured before Walker got out of the room. apartment and be arrested.
Wilson told viewers there was “a lot more where it came from.” But in a rambling interview on Sunday, he declined to produce more evidence. Instead, he accused LMPD agents of collusion.
“I’m not going to spend time trying to prove anything,” Wilson said when asked for proof of his wide variety of claims. “I will spend time exposing corruption.”
At the end of his appearance, Wilson accused reporters of corruption in a speech laden with blasphemy and walked away.
Aguiar confirmed he hired Wilson as an investigator in June to work on the Taylor case. Wilson was retained under contract and Aguiar paid him approximately $ 18,500 for his work.
Aguiar also said Wilson appears to have posted the only footage he has access to. Asked by a reporter in Sunday’s interview, Wilson said he knew what a PIU, or public integrity unit, file was, the investigation findings were passed on to Cameron for further information. possible charges.
Pictures show violation of LMPD policy after shooting
The VICE report says in body camera footage reviewed by the media outlet, none of the officers present for the March 13 raid are separated or paired with an escort, as required by LMPD policy.
This “escort officer” is responsible for staying with the officer during the initial investigation, explaining the investigation process, transporting him to the CEP office and “checking that the officer is isolated from all. non-essential people for the remainder of the initial period. investigation, ”according to LMPD standard operating procedures reviewed by The Courier Journal.
VICE also reports that Detective Michael Campbell, who was at the raid, is helping interview the neighbors. And Cosgrove, the newspaper reports, remains at the scene with a gun.
The behavior of these agents is noted in an investigation report obtained by VICE. And SWAT commander Lt. Dale Massey later told investigators Hankison was “way too much in the mix” and had called for her separation, according to VICE.
Wilson has been in trouble with Hankison before
Wilson, 35, had several encounters with Hankison, 44, dating back to 2016, which Wilson described in his federal lawsuit filed in October 2019. The lawsuit is still ongoing.
In it, he calls Hankison a “dirty cop” with a “vendetta” and says he has ruled that Wilson “must be engaging in illegal activity and must secure his conviction.”
In his trial, Wilson describes three times that Hankison arrested him in bars where officers worked as security off duty. The arrests are confirmed by court records and all three cases have been closed.
He also says Wilson and Hankison have had interactions outside of the arrests, “including about a relationship with the same woman.”
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He also alleges that LMPD agents executed a search warrant at his home and hair salon in October 2019, kicking the door of his home and pointing guns at his girlfriend before handcuffing her. during the search.
Officers seized a gun and Wilson’s license and cell phone, according to the lawsuit, which accused Hankison, a narcotics detective, of playing “a role in issuing these warrants, which were executed by narcotics officers. “
Roberts also started a GoFundMe for Wilson, describing it as “Kendrick’s fight against CORRUPTION”.
“Please support Kendrick in his fight against CORRUPTION!” it reads. “We still want justice for Kendrick and Breonna Taylor. They deserve JUSTICE! “
The funding target is $ 1 million. Sunday evening, he had raised $ 25 from an anonymous donor.