The Louisville Metro Police Department announced a state of emergency on Monday ahead of the grand jury decision in the Breonna Taylor case.
LMPD Interim Chief Rob Schroeder sent an addressed to all personnel, that read in part:
“To ensure we have the appropriate level of staffing to provide for public safety services and our policing functions, effective immediately the LMPD will operate under the emergency staffing and reporting guidelines as outlined in the Standard Operating Procedures, Emergency Response Plan and collective bargaining agreements until further notice.”
The move has sparked growing speculation that the officers involved in Taylor’s killing will not face charges.
“Effective immediately, all off-days are hereby cancelled and vacation requests that have not already been submitted and approved are cancelled until further notice,” the memo obtained by Wave 3 read.
The LMPD is also restricting access to downtown Louisville in anticipation of the verdict. Some federal buildings in Louisville will be forced to close this week, including The Gene Snyder United States Courthouse. All scheduled in-court appearances will be continued or converted to videoconference proceedings at the presiding judge’s discretion, per the order.
Earlier this week, it was confirmed that six Louisville Metro police officers are under investigation by the department’s Professional Standards Unit for their roles in the fatal shooting.
The news came just days after a $12 million lawsuit settlement — announced six months after Taylor was fatally shot in her apartment March 13.
The payout is the largest ever on behalf of Louisville police.
