Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville, Kentucky authorized a state of emergency order in anticipation of possible charges being filed against the police officers involved in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor.
“Again, we do not know when the announcement will come, but we must prepare for it. Our goal is ensuring space and opportunity for potential protesters to gather and express their First Amendment rights after the announcement,” Fischer’s statement, sent at 12:47 p.m. on Tuesday, said. “At the same time, we are preparing for any eventuality to keep everyone safe.”
Nearly a ghost town, the current aura of Louisville is similar to a city preparing for a Category 5 hurricane. Police closed multiple northbound and southbound streets in the city, including routes from Broadway to Market Street. Jefferson Square, the pivotal location for the majority of protests, has been blockaded with concrete barricades and heavy trucks, giving the city a war zone effect.
Even though Mayor Fischer’s job involves the well-being of the residents of Louisville, not everyone has agreed with the mayor, especially one person in particular, Jonathan Mattingly. Mattingly is one of three police officers who opened fire at Taylor’s residence the night she was killed. He was also the police officer who was hospitalized due to being shot in the leg during the raid.
“Regardless of the outcome today or Wednesday, I know we did the legal, moral and ethical thing that night,” Mattingly wrote in a statement. “It’s sad how the good guys are demonized, and the criminals are canonized.”
Mattingly would go on to take aim at both Mayor Fischer, Chief of Public Services Amy Hess and Former Louisville Police Chief Steve Conrad saying, “They have failed us all in epic proportions for their own gain and to cover their asses.”
Detective Myles Cosgrove and Detective Brett Hankison, who were involved with Taylor’s shooting, were not wearing body cameras when the incident occurred. LMPD interim Chief Robert Schroeder explained in a termination letter for Hankinson that he had “wantonly and blindly fired ten rounds” into a patio door and window of Taylor’s apartment, creating a “substantial danger of death and serious injury” in a raid attempt for drug dealer Jamarcus Glover that led to the death of Taylor. Glover was reportedly the person of interest and allegedly, the reason for the early morning raid on March 13, 2020. He was arrested 10 miles from Taylor’s residence.
Since this horrific tragedy has taken place, people from all over the United States have come to Louisville to protest with the city’s residents. The protests have been ongoing for the past 115 days. For some, the writing seems to be already on the proverbial wall due to the boarding up of buildings and street closures. The preparation of a riot sends out the subliminal message that justice may not be served. Some people have taken to social media platforms to voice their opinions.
Terrence Daniels tweeted, “Good morning downtown #Louisville as they prepare the city for the reaction to blatant injustice. Sad that they will spend so much money to cover for murders. We all see where this going… #BreonnaTaylor #BlackLivesMatter.”
An unidentified homeless man chimed in as well, “We know what the decision is going to be. Everybody does. That’s why they’re doing this. They know.”
With a decision looming, the questions we need to ask ourselves is: how much longer are people going to have to keep this repetitive cycle of tragedy and marching going? When will elected representatives finally create reform that protects Black America?
Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT employee, was killed the morning of March 13 during a supposedly legal drug raid by three Louisville police officers in search of an alleged drug dealer. No drugs or drug money was found at Taylor’s apartment.
A settlement was reached in the civil lawsuit against the city, along with police reforms that included a housing credit program, the utilization of social workers on emergency calls, and tracking of use-of-force incidents. Louisville officials awarded Taylor’s family $12 million on Sept. 15.
