Kentucky Attorney General to Serve as Special Prosecutor in Breonna Taylor Case

The shooting death of Breonna Taylor at the hands of police has spurred national conversation and outrage. Now, the state of Kentucky has appointed a special prosecutor to handle the case.

NBC News reports that state Attorney General Daniel Cameron will serve in the role in the Taylor case. “The Office of the Attorney General has been asked to serve as special prosecutor in the matter involving the death of Breonna Taylor. At the conclusion of the investigation, the office will review the evidence and take appropriate action,” Cameron announced on Wednesday.

On Thursday, The Root reported that Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear demanded investigators to “carefully review the results of the initial investigation.” Beshear has requested that Cameron “carefully review the results of the initial investigation to ensure justice is done at a time when many are concerned that justice is not blind.”

Kentucky State Rep. Charles Booker wrote a letter to Cameron requesting that an independent investigation be carried out.

“Ms. Taylor was an innocent and valued member of our community, and it is unjust that she has been killed. The circumstances surrounding her violent death at the hands of officers of the Louisville Metro Police Department are deeply troubling.” Booker said in the letter.

On March 13, Taylor and her boyfriend Kenneth Walker were at home when officers Myles Cosgrove, Jonathan Mattingly and Brett Hankison attempted to execute a search warrant. According to a statement released by the Louisville Metro Police Department, the officers knocked multiple times and announced their presence when Walker fired on them, hitting Mattingly in the leg. The officers then fired back in response.

A lawsuit filed by Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, alleges that the officers did not announce their presence and that Walker fired on the officers in self-defense as he thought someone was attempting to rob them. The lawsuit alleges the officers committed wrongful death, excessive force and gross negligence.

From NBC News:

The suit said the officers were looking for a suspect who lived in a different part of the city and was already in police custody. The Courier-Journal reported that records show the officers were investigating a “trap house” that was more than 10 miles away from Taylor’s apartment. They had been issued a “no-knock” search warrant for that residence.

A police spokesperson had no comment this week because the investigation was still ongoing. The officers were reassigned pending the outcome of the investigation.

Taylor and Walker had no criminal history or drug convictions. No drugs were found in the apartment.

While initially the case didn’t receive much attention, awareness has begun to build over Taylor’s tragic death. She was 26 years old and an EMT in Louisville, Ky.