Federal Indictments Issued Against Current and Former Louisville Metro Police Officers Related to the Death of Breonna Taylor and Violations of Kenneth Walker's Constitutional Rights
LOUISVILLE, Ky., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday Attorney General Merrick Garland and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke announced federal charges against four former and current Louisville Metro Police Department officers related to the death of Breonna Taylor and violations of Kenneth Walker's constitutional rights. The charges include Civil Rights Violations, Unlawful Conspiracies, Unconstitutional Use of Force, and Obstruction Offenses.
The indicted officers are named defendants in a federal lawsuit and a state court lawsuit brought by Kenneth Walker. The federal action seeks damages for the LMPD officers' fabrication of evidence to obtain a warrant to search Ms. Taylor's residence; their execution of the warrant in defiance of the Fourth Amendment "knock and announce" requirement; and their use of overwhelming and excessive force when Mr. Walker, a licensed gun owner, sought to defend himself and Ms. Taylor against what he reasonably thought were threatening intruders. The state court action seeks damages for both the assault and battery inflicted upon Mr. Walker after he witnessed the killing of Ms. Taylor, as well as his subsequent false arrest and malicious prosecution.
Mr. Walker is represented by Donald B. Verrilli Jr., the former Solicitor General of the United States, Ruby Garrett, Dahlia Mignouna, Brendan Gants, Jacob Kreilkamp, and Robyn Bacon of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP; Professor Cliff Sloan of Georgetown University Law Center; Steven Romines of Romines Weiss and Young; and Frederick Moore, Abby Green, and Phil Grossman of Grossman Green PLLC.
Steve Romines, one of the Kentucky-based attorneys representing Mr. Walker, released the following statement.
"We have said from the beginning that various LMPD officers repeatedly violated their own policies and Kenny Walker's constitutional rights in the investigation, raid, and subsequent false arrest of Kenny in an attempt to cover up their own wrongdoings in the killing of Breonna Taylor. It appears a federal grand jury agreed. We will continue to seek justice in the civil courts and call for changes to policies and procedures that protect all our citizens. No other person should ever live through what Mr. Walker has lived through. We call on LMPD to complete an internal review of the injustices to Mr. Walker and a publication of changes in the way police officers are trained and supervised."
SOURCE Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
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