Louisville’s police chief and chief of public services walked out of a government oversight committee meeting after being asked questions about the death of Breonna Taylor.
The cited a recent lawsuit as the reason could not offer up any answers.
“We understand that people in our city want answers. We want them too, and we remain committed to sharing information as soon as we can without jeopardizing pending investigations,” Jean Porter, director of communications for the mayor of Louisville, said in a statement.
The lawsuit was filed days earlier by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the ACLU of Kentucky.
“Rather than treating its peaceful protesters as important parts of the democratic process protected by the Constitution, the City of Louisville has chosen to forcibly silence them — often using military-type weapons and tactics that resemble those used by authoritarian regimes to stifle dissent,” the lawsuit alleges.
Taylor lost her life on March 13 when several Louisville police officers, executing a search warrant, used a battering ram to enter her apartment. The police fired into the apartment, shooting Taylor several times.
According to Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, Taylor coughed and struggled to breathe for at least five minutes after being shot, but received no medical assistance or help from officers at the scene.
Her death has sparked protests across the country. None of the officers have been charged with the murder, and only one has been fired from the department.
“The Committee chair was well aware before they set up today’s meeting that there are matters that we are legally not allowed to share, and they were advised of our concerns about proceeding at this time,” according to the city’s statement.
