Two Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officers were shot Wednesday in downtown Louisville amid growing unrest surrounding the handling of officer-involved shooting case of Breonna Taylor.
The officers were shot shortly before 8:30 p.m. just ahead of a 9 p.m. curfew.
LMPD interim police Chief Robert Schroeder said during a press briefing that both officers were in a stable condition with non-life threatening injuries. One was still undergoing surgery while the other was now alert in the care of Louisville University Hospital.
Their identities have not been released.
One person has been taken into custody in connection with the shootings, Schroeder added.
A Kentucky grand jury brought no murder charges against any of the three Louisville police officers involved in the shooting that led to Taylor’s death during a warranted drug trafficking investigation gone wrong on March 13, officials announced earlier Wednesday.
One former police officer, Brett Hankison, was indicted for wanton endangerment after he blindly fired 10 shots into Taylor’s apartment when his colleague was shot in the leg by Taylor’s boyfriend.
The late night search was not a “no-knock” one, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a Republican, confirmed. Officers knocked on the door and announced themselves before entering the residence.
Potential violations of federal law in connection with the raid are still being investigated by the FBI.
It remains unclear if the shooting Wednesday is related to the protests following the court’s decision.
The FBI Louisville SWAT team said it responded to the shooting and would continue to assist in the investigation.
No further information about the shooting has been made available. LMPD didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden issued a statement on social media saying: “Even amidst the profound grief & anger today’s decision generated, violence is never & can never be the answer. Those who engage in it must be held accountable. Jill & I are keeping the officers shot tonight in Louisville in our prayers. We wish them both a swift & full recovery.”
President Donald Trump said on Twitter that he was praying for the two officers and that the federal government stood ready to help Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear if called on for support.
Beshear said he was thinking of the “two officers and their families tonight” during a press conference.
He urged those who remained out on the streets to “please go home tonight.”
“Let’s make sure we don’t see any more violence tonight, and let’s make sure we find ways of expressing ourselves moving forward where your point and other people’s points are made, and that hopefully we can not just listen, but we can hear.”
Black Lives Matter protesters and agitators had started marching from Jefferson Square Park to Broadway in Louisville on Tuesday evening after Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer declared a state of emergency, signing two executive orders “which allows him to exercise any of his emergency powers.” The order was issued earlier this week.
On Wednesday, streamed footage of the growing protests showed protesters calling for violence, with some saying they should burn the city down.
The National Guard was activated, according to reporters in the city around midday. Some protesters were arrested.
In March, Taylor was fatally shot six times in her home by officers who had announced themselves before executing a search warrant.
But when no one answered or opened the door, officers breached the door. Kenneth Walker, the boyfriend, later told police he heard knocking but didn’t know who was coming into the home and opened fire in self-defense. Officers then returned fire, killing Taylor.
Taylor’s family settled with the city for $12 million last week.
Zachary Stieber, Jack Phillips, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
