Internal Investigation Determines Police Should Not Have Fired Into The Home of Breonna Taylor

Photo credit: Stephanie Keith / Stringer/ Getty

According to CBS reports, there are newly released documents from an internal probe into the death of Breonna Taylor.

In the reports, it is being determined that the three officers from Louisville involved in the shooting should not have fired shots into Taylor’s home. ABC News obtained documents which held the statement from Sgt. Andrew Meyer from Louisville Metro Police Department’s Professional Standards Unit, and he determined that the officers involved should have held their fire after the shot was fried Kenneth Walker, Taylor’s boyfriend.

“They took a total of thirty-two shots, when the provided circumstances made it unsafe to take a single shot. This is how the wrong person was shot and killed,” Meyer wrote.

Internal investigation finds officers shouldn’t have shot into Breonna Taylor’s apartment https://t.co/Uq7duCty7C pic.twitter.com/OGr5kmvZkw

— The Hill (@thehill) May 10, 2021

It is believed by the Sgt. that Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankinson, and Myles Cosgrove were all in the wrong and violated the department’s use-of force policy. He also added that deadly force should have been used only against Walker after a shot was fired from him.

“Ms. Taylor’s safety should have been considered before he (Mattingly) returned fire,” Meyer said. While Walker was not injured in the shooting, Taylor was shot six times, including at least once by Mattingly,” according to the statement.  

Both Hankinson and Cosgrove were fired from department and Hankinson, who was not charged for her death, will retire in June.