One of the Louisville police officers who shot at 26-year-old Breonna Taylor during a drug raid that left her dead last year is writing a book to give his account of the tragic night.
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Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, 48, told the Louisville Courier he is still “in the process of writing” but did not provide specifics of his book.
Post Hill Press, a publisher distributed under Simon & Schuster, said Mattingly’s book will be titled The Fight For Truth: The Inside Story Behind the Breonna Taylor Tragedy. Post Hill Press senior publicist Devon Brown told the outlet that the book was set to publish in the fall.
However, in the face of online criticism, Simon & Schuster later said it would have no role in the distribution of the book.
“Like much of the American public, earlier today Simon & Schuster learned of plans by distribution client Post Hill Press to publish a book by Jonathan Mattingly. We have subsequently decided not to be involved in the distribution of the book,” the company said in a statement late Thursday.
Mattingly is one of three officers who participated in the no-knock raid on March 13, 2020.
Mattingly and another officer, Myles Cosgrove, fired into Taylor’s apartment after her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, shot at them, who later claimed he thought they were intruders. The FBI concluded Cosgrove fired the shot that killed Taylor. Mattingly sustained a gunshot wound to his leg, which required emergency surgery.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron later said the two officers “were justified in their use of force.”
The announcement of the book deal, which comes amid high tensions around the recent death of Daunte Wright in Minnesota, was met with backlash online.
Rep. Attica Scott, a Democrat in the Kentucky House, slammed the deal on Twitter.
“Stay focused, y’all. People love to profit off of Black pain and tragedy. It sells,” Scott tweeted on Thursday.
Scott had long been advocating to ban no-knock warrants in Kentucky, pushing a bill named for Taylor. Last week, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed a bill that would limit no-knock warrants but stops short at an outright ban.
Shannon Coulter, co-founder of economic justice organization Grab Your Wallet, criticized Simon & Schuster over the book, questioning if the publisher will allow its distribution.
.@simonschuster: I notice one of the publishers you distribute, @PostHillPress, has given a book deal to one of the guys who fired shots in Breonna Taylor’s apartment. Same guy who sued her boyfriend for “emotional distress.” Will you be distributing this? https://t.co/ns0Ry8mTAx
— Shannon Coulter (@shannoncoulter) April 15, 2021
Post Hill Press publishes a wide array of books, including “Christian and conservative political books,” according to its website. Its authors include Reps. Burgess Owens and Matt Gaetz, as well as conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
Simon & Schuster initially stood by its arrangement with Post Hill Press.
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“The editorial and publishing decision of our distribution clients are theirs and theirs alone, and are made independently of Simon & Schuster,” the publisher told the Wrap. “Per our agreements with them we are unable to pick and choose which titles on their list to distribute.”
Taylor’s death, along with several other high-profile deaths of black people involving police, sparked national outcry and debates calling for police reform and an end to racial injustice.
