Kentucky judge dismisses charges against Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker III
A Kentucky judge on Monday dismissed charges against Kenneth Walker III, the boyfriend of Breonna Taylor who was killed by police when a “no-knock” search warrant was executed on her home in Louisville on March 13, 2020.
Walker “is relieved that, after the worst year of his life, prosecutors have finally acknowledged that he did nothing wrong and acted in self-defense,” said a statement from his attorney after a judge dismissed charges against him.
Walker was accused of shooting a Louisville police officer during the flawed forced-entry raid.
Walker, thinking officers were intruders, fired one shot as they broke down the door. Officers returned fire, riddling the apartment with bullets and killing the 26-year-old Taylor in the process.
In a statement to CNN, Walker’s attorney, Steven Romines, said there are “deep-seeded failures within the Louisville Metro Police Department” adding that the police department has not apologized to Walker.
“Kenneth looks forward to continuing his fight to hold wrongdoers accountable for the harm they caused to Breonna and Kenneth and for acts by the police that divided our Louisville community,” said the statement.
“Kenneth hopes his efforts will effect change that will prevent events like this from happening in the future,” according to the statement.
Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Olu Stevens dismissed the charges Monday “with prejudice,” meaning Walker can’t be charged with the same offenses related to the shooting, according to court documents.
No officer who took part in the raid was charged for Taylor’s actual killing. Only one of the three officers — Brett Hankison — was charged in connection with the shooting. A grand jury charged Hankison in September with three counts of felony wanton endangerment for blindly firing 10 shots into Taylor’s home. Hankison, who was fired on June 23, has pleaded not guilty.
In January, the Louisville Police Department fired two other officers — Myles Cosgrove and Joshua Jaynes — who were involved in the shooting at Taylor’s home.
