Detectives Myles Cosgrove and Joshua Jaynes with the Louisville Metro Police Department have been officials fired for their roles the night 26-year old Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by police who burst into her apartment with a no-knock warrant on March 13th.
The FBI determined that the bullet that fatally wounded Taylor was fired by Cosgrove. He was terminated for violating procedures for use of force and for having his body camera turned off during the raid. Jaynes was fired for being in violation of department policy and for giving “untruthful” information to obtain the warrant. LMPD Detective Brett Hankison, who was also at the scene that night was let go in June for going against protocol firing “blindly” into Taylor’s and a neighboring apartment.
The Courier-Journal reports that Interim LMPD Yvette Gentry also found the following:
- Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, the officer who was wounded during the attempted search warrant execution, was exonerated for use of deadly force and de-escalation violations.
- Sgt. Kyle Meany of the Place-Based Investigations unit that pursued the warrant for Taylor's apartment was found in violation of the department policy guiding risk assessment and SWAT Team response for a search warrant. He received a letter of reprimand.
- Detective Anthony James received a one-day suspension for violation of body camera policy during the search. James wore a body camera but failed to activate it.
- Detective Michael Campbell also received a one-day suspension for violation of the department's body camera policy.
- Lt. Shawn Hoover, the commanding officer on the scene during the warrant, was exonerated of violating procedures concerning the responsibilities of commanding officers.
- Detective Wes Barton was exonerated for a truthfulness violation for his role in preparing for the search.
Cosgrove responded to his dismissal with an email to fellow officers saying in part "For those of you still doing real police work, it's just a matter of time till you (too) will be a sacrificial lamb. I plead with you, do nothing."
Both former detectives have ten days to appeal the decision to the Police Merit Board.