The Louisville Police Department has signaled its intent to fire two police officers involved in the home raid that killed Breonna Taylor.
Detectives Joshua Jaynes and Myles Cosgrove both received letters notifying them that the department intended to fire them, according to NBC News. A spokesperson for the police department said both officers have the right to a pre-termination hearing.
Jaynes was the detective who obtained a no-knock warrant for Taylor’s home. In a sworn affidavit, he “verified through a U.S. Postal Inspector” that Taylor’s ex-boyfriend used her address to receive packages. LMPD Chief Yvette Gentry later wrote in a letter that Jaynes “lied when he swore” that he confirmed the allegation with someone from the Postal Service.
“Detective Jaynes did not have contact with a US Postal Inspector,” Gentry wrote in the letter, obtained by WAVE 3. “He received the information from Sergeant Mattingly, who got it from a Shively Police Officer.”
Cosgrove participated in the raid and fired the shot that killed Taylor. According to a grand jury investigation, Cosgrove was “justified” in his use of force and faced no charges following the incident.
One officer was charged as a result of the botched raid. Officer Brett Hankison was charged with three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment for putting Taylor’s neighbors in danger during the raid after firing through a window while the blinds were closed. No one was charged in connection with Taylor’s death. Hankison has pleaded not guilty.
Taylor’s shooting has become a rallying cry during protests against racial inequality and police brutality in the United States this year. She was killed on March 13, when the officers conducted a “no-knock” warrant on her apartment to search for drugs. Taylor’s boyfriend claimed the officers didn’t identify themselves, and he fired at them because he thought they were intruders, prompting the officers to return fire and kill Taylor.
