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Grand jury recordings in Breonna Taylor case to be made public: reports

Click to play video: 'Breonna Taylor death: Officer involved in shooting pleads not guilty to charge of wanton endangerment'
Breonna Taylor death: Officer involved in shooting pleads not guilty to charge of wanton endangerment
Breonna Taylor death: Officer involved in shooting pleads not guilty to charge of wanton endangerment – Sep 28, 2020

Kentucky’s attorney general is promising to release recordings from the grand jury proceedings in the Breonna Taylor investigation on Wednesday, according to multiple media reports.

The New York Times, Washington Post and NBC News report that Attorney General David Cameron confirmed the decision in a statement Monday, which came after one of the jurors in the case filed a court motion asking to make the details public.

The reports cited a statement from Cameron’s office, saying the recording will be released on a judge’s order despite concerns the information might compromise an ongoing federal investigation into the warrant that led to Taylor’s death.

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Global News attempted to reach the Kentucky attorney general’s office for comment, but a response wasn’t received by the time of publication.

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The unidentified juror who filed the motion to release the recordings cited “a compelling public interest for these proceedings to be released,” according to court documents referenced in the reports. The juror also allegedly accused Cameron of “using the grand jurors as a shield to deflect accountability and responsibility.”

Protests erupted in Louisville, Ky., and several other U.S. cities following the announcement last week that the grand jury would not bring murder charges against three police officers involved in the March 13 shooting of Taylor in her home during the execution of a search warrant.

Click to play video: 'Breonna Taylor: Taylor’s aunt reads emotional statement on behalf of Taylor’s mother following grand jury decision'
Breonna Taylor: Taylor’s aunt reads emotional statement on behalf of Taylor’s mother following grand jury decision

The grand jury decided against charging any of the officers involved with wrongdoing in Taylor’s death, but charged an officer with wanton endangerment for stray bullets that struck a neighbouring apartment.

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Brett Hankison, who was fired from the Louisville Metro Police Department in June, pleaded not guilty to that charge on Monday.

Cameron’s statement also cited the potential poisoning of a jury pool as a reason for not releasing the recording.

Lawyers for Taylor’s family and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear on Monday had called on Cameron to make evidence in the case public.

The FBI is continuing its investigation into Taylor’s death, including how the warrant used to enter her apartment was obtained.

—With files from Reuters

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