Police Officer Sues Breonna Taylor’s Boyfriend

Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend Kenneth Walker, who was with her the night she was killed by Louisville police officers in her home, is now being sued by one of the officers involved in the deadly shooting. 

According to CBS, a civil lawsuit by Louisville Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly claims he experienced “severe trauma, mental anguish, and emotional distress.” Kenneth Walker, a licensed gun owner, thought the police were intruders when they barged into Taylor’s apartment on March 13 and fired a shot that hit Mattingly in the leg. 

The lawsuit says, “Walker’s conduct in shooting Mattingly is outrageous, intolerable, and offends all accepted standards of decency and morality.”

Walker’s attorney called the lawsuit “baseless attempt to further victimize and harass Kenny.”

He also added, “Kenny Walker is protected by law under KRS 503.085 and is immune from both criminal prosecution and civil liability as he was acting in self defense in his own home.”

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On October 14, Walker told Gayle King, “If it was the police at the door and they just said ‘we’re the police,’ me or Breonna didn’t have a reason at all not to open the door and see what they wanted.”

Walker said that, believing it was intruders, he let off one shot as a warning. But that shot struck Hankison. The officers then released a barrage of gunfire, which killed Taylor . 

“I don’t think I ever heard so many gunshots all at the same time,” Walker remembered. “I’ve never been to war, but I assume that’s what war sounds like.”

RELATED: Breonna Taylor Case: Grand Jury Charges Just One Officer With Wanton Endangerment

On Sept. 23, the grand jury returned three counts of “wanton endangerment” in the first degree against former officer Brett Hankinson for firing into another apartment. A $15,000 cash bond was also attached to the charges. The other two officers, Sgt. John Mattingly and Det. Myles Cosgrove, were not charged and remain on the police force. Hankinson was fired in July.

Attempted murder charges were filed against Walker but all charges were dropped in May.

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