• Search

BREAKING: Shots Fired At Louisville Riots, Officer Down

By Sandy Malone and Christopher Berg

Louisville, KY – At least one officer was shot Wednesday night after gunfire broke out at riots in Louisville.

UPDATE: Two officers are now reported to be down.

The shooting happened at around 8:30 p.m. near Brook and Broadway, according to WDRB.

Officers in the area were working on crowd control at a riot when the gunshots rang out and two officers were hit.

The condition of the wounded officers has not been released.

No information about the shooter has been released.

Authorities began planning for violent riots in the city as word spread that the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office had completed its investigation and was ready to present its findings to a Jefferson County grand jury on Monday.

The Louisville Metropolitan Police Department (LMPD) declared a State of Emergency and the Louisville Mayor Greg Fisher announced a curfew ahead of the announcement of the grand jury’s decision.

The grand jury indicted former LMPD Officer Brett Hankison on three counts of wanton endangerment for firing shots into a neighboring apartment occupied by three people, one of who was a pregnant woman and another was her child, but none of the Louisville police officers were indicted for firing shots after Taylor’s boyfriend opened fire on them.

Protesters were already gathered outside the government buildings that had been boarded up in anticipation of riots if the grand jury ignored activists demands and failed to charge all three officers who fired shots into Taylor’s home during the botched raid in March.

Video showed that even as Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced that the special prosecutor’s investigation of the incident had determined that LMPD Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly and LMPD Officer Myles Cosgrove were “justified in their use of force after being fired on by Walker,” protesters were preparing to wreak havoc in the streets.

One video showed protesters removing “Abolish the Police” signs and riot gear from a rented U-Haul truck that had been staged nearby.

In the video, protesters removed shields, bats, and other items that could be used as weapons against police in a riot.

Down the street, protesters surrounded a man who was trying to defend his business and began smashing his windows.

Meanwhile, militia members were reportedly staging at spots four miles and 10 miles outside of Louisville in an effort to protect area businesses and residents.

Some of the militia members wore colored armbands to help differentiate their group from others.

Police had been preparing for the expected violent protests and moved quickly to shut down problem areas of the city as protesters began setting fires in trash cans.

Authorities declared an “unlawful protest” and began scuffling with protesters and making arrests almost immediately.

Videos showed stacks of bricks had been staged near the intersection of Cherokee and Bardstown Roads.

Ahead of the announcement, officials in Kentucky ordered the federal courthouse closed down and the mayor announced a curfew for Jefferson County starting at 9 p.m. on Wednesday night.

The curfew will be in effect from 9 p.m. until 6:30 a.m. for 72 hours and doesn’t apply to people going to work, seeking medical attention, or going to worship.

LMPD Interim Chief of Police Robert Schroeder said the National Guard has already been activated and numerous other law enforcement agencies will also be providing support in the county.

This is a developing story and we will keep you updated. For all of our updates, follow us on Facebook and go to your news feed preferences under your settings, then select that you want to see more of Blue Lives Matter posts in your news feed. Otherwise, Facebook may not show you updates.

FacebookTwitterLinkedIn
Written by
Christopher Berg

Editor-in-Chief: Twitter/@SnarkyCop. Christopher left his job as a police officer to manage The Police Tribune to provide context to the public about police incidents. Before becoming a police officer, he worked as a law enforcement dispatcher trainer.

View all articles
Related articles
Written by Christopher Berg
Add comment
2 Officers Shot, 127 Arrested In Louisville As Riots Sweep Nation
FacebookTwitterLinkedIn
Violent Protests Erupt In Louisville, Videos Indicate Riots Were Pre-Planned

Newsletter

Sign up to our daily newsletter so you don't miss out on the latest events surrounding law enforcement!

Follow Me

Follow us on social media and be sure to mark us as "See First."