Breonna Taylor Incident Report Is Almost Entirely Blank

Cops accused of 'making a mockery of transparency'
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 10, 2020 4:34 PM CDT
Police Report on Taylor Killing Is Almost Blank
Louisville Police Department officers stand outside during a protest over the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor on May 30.   (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

The amount of information in a police incident report on the death of Breonna Taylor is extremely limited. The amount of correct information is even smaller. The four-page report on the March 13 killing of the unarmed, sleeping black woman is almost entirely blank, and it lists her injuries as "none," despite the fact that she was shot at least eight times, the Louisville Courier-Journal reports. The report also says there was no forced entry, although officers, who had a "no-knock" warrant allowing them to enter without knocking or identifying themselves, used a battering ram to enter the apartment at around 12:43am. The narrative of events only states "PIU Investigation," a reference to the Louisville police department's Public Integrity Unit.

Courier-Journal counsel Jon Fleischaker says the incident is proof the department "continues to make a mockery of transparency." The newspaper is suing for the release of the department's investigative file. Taylor, a 26-year-old nurse and ER technician, was killed during a narcotics raid connected to a suspect who lived more than 10 miles away. No drugs were found in her home. Her boyfriend says he fired in self-defense, believing a break-in was occurring. A lawsuit from Taylor's family says police "blindly fired" more than 25 shots in response. The three officers involved are on administrative reassignment during the investigation. NBC reports that one of them, Officer Brett Hankison, is now also being investigated over allegations from at least two women that he sexually assaulted them. (More Breonna Taylor stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X