Breonna Taylor's boyfriend on Friday filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Louisville Police Department and the officers involved in the deadly shooting, alleging broad, problematic practices and accusing the LMPD of violating his constitutional rights, reports ABC News.
Kenneth Walker was with Taylor the night of the police raid that left her dead. Officers were executing a no-knock warrant at the apartment where Taylor and Walker were living in Louisville, in early March 13, 2020, in search of drugs they said Taylor's ex-boyfriend was shipping to the address.
Walker, a licensed gun holder, said he thought someone was breaking in and fired a single shot that hit LMPD Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly in the leg. The officers blindly returned fire, striking and killing Taylor, a 26-year-old medical worker.
Her death set off protests against police brutality around the nation.
Walker's complaint names the police officers involved in the raid – Mattingly, Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankison – and the Louisville and Jefferson County Metro government and accuses the LMPD of "tacitly approving excessive use of force" in failing to "adequately train its officers in using reasonable (and not excessive) force."
The suit also contends that law enforcement officials made false claims in order to obtain the warrant and that officers violated Walker's constitutional rights during the raid by not sparing him from criminal prosecution under Kentucky's "stand your ground" law.
"Although Mr. Walker had committed no crime, officers on the scene took him into custody. Defendant Hankison told Mr. Walker that he was 'going to jail for the rest of [his] life,'" the complaint, obtained by ABC News, stated.
The raid led Walker to suffer "mental anguish, emotional distress, trauma, humiliation, embarrassment, and reputational harm," the suit said.
Police "threatened Kenny's life, illegally detained Kenny, interrogated him under false pretenses, ignored his account as corroborated by neighbors, and arrested and jailed Kenny," the lawsuit claims.
"This is a very important lawsuit to vindicate Kenneth Walker's constitutional rights under the U.S. Constitution," Cliff Sloan, a Georgetown University Law Center professor representing Walker, told ABC News. "We are seeking to ensure that there is justice and accountability for the tragic and unjustified police assault on Kenneth Walker and killing of Breonna Taylor."
A Kentucky judge last week dismissed criminal charges against Walker with prejudice for shooting and wounding a police officer during the raid.
Walker cannot be charged for the crimes following the ruling.
Prosecutors last week moved to dismiss the charges. In a court filing, they said investigations "into this matter have concluded and no new information relevant to the charges against (Walker) in this matter has been brought to the Commonwealth's attention."
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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