Breonna Taylor's boyfriend Kenneth Walker cleared of shooting police officer
Alamy LiveThe boyfriend of Breonna Taylor has had an attempted murder charge against him dropped after he shot and wounded a police officer at his home.
It happened during the incident when Breonna Taylor, a young black medic with no criminal record, was shot dead.
Kenneth Walker had claimed he thought intruders were breaking-in when police raided his home in Kentucky last year.
No criminal charges have ever been brought over the shooting. Two officers were eventually fired.
Breonna's death was one of several in recent years which contributed to global protests against racism and police brutality in 2020.
FacebookDuring the raid, Kenneth Walker fired at the officers who he said he believed were attackers breaking into the couple's home.
Police claim they made it clear who they were before knocking the front door down.
They reportedly knocked on the door to announce their presence before breaking it down with a battering ram.
Breonna's boyfriend said he then fired out of self-defence. Three officers returned fire with 32 shots - six of which hit and killed her.
Her name became part of a global Black Lives Matter protest as people demanded a thorough investigation into her death.
Detectives Myles Cosgrove and Joshua Jaynes were recently fired from Louisville Police over their involvement, with authorities finding Cosgrove didn't follow procedures with use of force, and failed to use a body camera in the search.
Campaigners are still demanding tougher action from the police.
Kenneth Walker was cleared of attempted murder two months after Breonna's death, but prosecutors were able to bring the charges back if new evidence came up.
However now a judge has permanently closed the case against him, meaning he can't ever be charged again over it.
The officer who was shot, Sgt Jonathan Mattingly, recovered from the leg wound and still works at the Louisville police department.
"After the worst year of [Walker's] life, prosecutors have finally acknowledged that he did nothing wrong and acted in self-defence," Kenneth's lawyer Steve Romines told CBS News.
"He looks forward to continuing the fight to hold the real wrongdoers accountable for the harm that they've caused.
"Both he, individually, and our community, as a whole, cannot begin the process of healing until that happens."
