Governor Andy Beshear is calling for Kentucky State Police to investigate a fatal shooting that occurred in Louisville early Monday morning during the fourth night of protests and unrest over the death of Breonna Taylor. He also said the camera footage of the shooting should be released to the public.
According to media reports, Louisville Metro Police and National Guardsmen reportedly shot and killed David McAtee in the parking lot of the Dino’s Food Mart around 12:15 Monday morning when they were breaking up a large group and someone fired at them. Law enforcement returned fire, striking and killing McAtee. Reports say it’s unclear if McAtee was the person who had fired at officers.
Governor Beshear said they are still learning about the events surrounding the fatal shooting and he has been reaching out to several different groups involved, including state police. He added he has called for Kentucky State Police to be involved with either an independent investigation or direct oversight of this investigation.
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Beshear said his understanding is there is significant camera footage — body camera and otherwise — of the shooting. The governor added he believes the people of Kentucky should see the footage to decide whether the fatal shooting was justified or not.
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The fatal shooting occurred after the 9:00 p.m. curfew implemented by Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer over the weekend due to protests and rioting.The mother of Taylor, Tamika Palmer also joined Governor Beshear at the news conference and said she wants justice for her daughter’s death, but she does not want violence as things move forward.
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Taylor was reportedly shot and killed in the early morning hours on March 13 by officers with the Louisville Metro Police Department who entered her apartment to serve a no-knock warrant in connection to a drug trafficking investigation.
According to reports, Taylor, a 26-year old EMT, lived at the apartment with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who police said fired first when they entered and injured an officer. Law enforcement officers returned fire, shooting Taylor eight times. No drugs were reportedly found inside the apartment.
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