Advertisement

Breonna Taylor grand jury recordings set to be released Friday after judge’s order

Click to play video: 'Breonna Taylor: Kentucky grand juror calls for more evidence to be released'
Breonna Taylor: Kentucky grand juror calls for more evidence to be released
Breonna Taylor: Kentucky grand juror calls for more evidence to be released – Sep 29, 2020

An audio recording of grand jury proceedings that ended with no criminal charges against police officers for the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor was slated to be released Friday.

A court in Louisville, Ky., ruled that the content of the proceedings, typically kept secret, should be made public by noontime.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, whose office led the investigation into police actions in the Taylor shooting, did not object to the file’s release. On Wednesday, his office asked for a week’s extension to redact personal information from the recording before it is heard by the public. The judge gave him two days.

Cameron, a Republican and the state’s first African American attorney general, has been criticized since announcing last week that the grand jury did not charge the officers for killing Taylor. The officers used a narcotics warrant to enter Taylor’s Louisville apartment on March 13 and shot her after Taylor’s boyfriend fired a shot at them. The 26-year-old emergency medical worker was shot five times. Police found no drugs there.

Story continues below advertisement
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

Cameron said two officers who fired their guns, hitting Taylor, were justified because Taylor’s boyfriend had fired at them first. The boyfriend had said he thought someone was breaking in.

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Protesters have taken to the streets in Louisville and around the country to demand more accountability in the case. Activists, Taylor’s family and one of the grand jurors called for the grand jury file to be released.

Click to play video: 'Families of Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake call for criminal justice reform'
Families of Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake call for criminal justice reform

The audio recording of the jury proceedings will be added to the public court file of fired Officer Brett Hankison. The grand jury charged Hankison with three counts of wanton endangerment for firing into a neighbouring apartment where people were inside. No one was hit. He pleaded not guilty on Monday. Cameron said there was no conclusive evidence that any of Hankison’s shots hit Taylor.

Story continues below advertisement

The developments come a day after the first woman to lead the Louisiana Metro Police Department, Yvette Gentry, was sworn in Thursday as the department’s interim chief.

“I know I’m interim,” Gentry said at a small ceremony streamed on the department’s Facebook page. “But I represent something different to a lot of people being the first woman to take this title, so I’m not going to shortchange that.”

Sponsored content

AdChoices