A judge in Kentucky has dismissed core charges against two former Louisville police officials, Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany, involved in the raid that led to Breonna Taylor’s death. Judge Charles R. Simpson III determined that Taylor’s death was primarily caused by her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who opened fire when police arrived at her apartment. The judge stated that regardless of whether the police officials falsified a warrant request, it was Walker’s gunfire that triggered the deadly police response.
The case, which gained national attention amid the broader conversation on police brutality following George Floyd’s death, had previously resulted in indictments against Jaynes and Meany for depriving Taylor of her constitutional rights leading to her death. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland had emphasized the need to protect civil rights and highlighted that Taylor should still be alive.
The judge’s ruling reduced the felony civil rights violation charges against Jaynes and Meany to misdemeanors. The charges related to covering up the false search warrant and lying to investigators will still be pursued. The Justice Department is reviewing the decision and planning its next steps, while Taylor’s family plans to appeal the ruling and continue fighting for justice. The case also includes charges against two other former police officials, with Brett Hankison’s prosecution ending in mistrial and plans to retry him in October.
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