127 arrests in Louisville, none in Lexington. Breonna Taylor protests differ across KY
Lexington and Louisville are about 80 miles apart, but Wednesday night’s protests made it look as though Kentucky’s two largest cities were in different worlds.
Upset residents and activists in both cities took to the streets after none of the three officers involved in the March shooting that killed Breonna Taylor was charged in her killing. A grand jury indicted former Louisville officer Brett Hankison for wanton endangerment for bullets fired into a neighboring apartment.
There were 127 protesters arrested in Louisville Wednesday night and early Thursday, according to Louisville police. The city declared a state of emergency and blocked off downtown streets. Officers put on riot gear to interact with protesters as multiple police helicopters whirred overhead.
“Louisville is really, really bad right now,” Corey Logan, a Lexington resident, told a protest group outside the Fayette County courthouse Wednesday. Logan said he went to Louisville in anticipation of the announcement and then returned to Lexington for the march. “Everything is boarded up. They’ve got the National Guard on every corner.”
Two officers were shot as protests were going on in Louisville, though the Louisville Metro Police Department said Thursday that it was too early to tell if the shooting was directly connected to the protests.
“There were several instances of unlawful behavior where police needed to intervene during the protest activities,” said Robert Schroeder, Louisville’s interim police chief.
Schroeder said the criminal activity included damage to businesses and vehicles, fires being set and protesters jumping barriers.
An hour and 20 minutes away, Lexington didn’t block off downtown. Many downtown city employees were sent home early Wednesday afternoon after Mayor Linda Gorton encouraged protesters to remain calm and peaceful.
No protesters were arrested, according to Lexington police. Law enforcement officers were scarce throughout the three-hour demonstration in which the group walked city sidewalks and some streets.
Lexington police said the demonstration “did not require police presence.”
“Officers responded to calls for service as we normally do,” spokeswoman Brenna Angel said.
Taylor’s death impacted the Louisville community more deeply as more than 100 days of demonstrations occurred before the grand jury’s decision. Louisville protesters said Hankison’s indictment wasn’t enough even though Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said the use of force that killed Taylor was justified because Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, shot first. The couple were awakened by police serving a warrant. In addition to Hankison, Cameron’s investigation looked at the roles of investigators Myles Cosgrove and Jonathan Mattingly, whom Walker shot in the leg.
“That was justice for the other people,” said Shayla Moorea, a 26-year-old Louisville protester. “That wasn’t for her.”
Lexington protesters made it clear they felt strong connections to the case.
“It’s a universal problem worldwide,” Juan Gomez, a Lexington resident, said of Taylor’s case and criminal justice issues facing Black Americans. “People around the world are protesting this.”
Hankison, the only officer indicted in the confrontation that killed Taylor, was formerly a Lexington police officer. He joined the Lexington Police Department in 1999 and resigned in 2002. He was suspended for “dereliction of duty” in 2002, according to his personnel file, but there wasn’t any indication that his resignation was related to his suspension.
His superior officer said he would be “strongly against” rehiring Hankison because of “his actions in violation of standing orders, refusal to accept supervision, and general poor attitude toward the Division of Police and its commanding staff,” according to Hankison’s personnel file.
Hankison’s ties to Lexington were a rallying point for protesters marching through downtown Lexington on Wednesday.
“His behavior was so horrible,” said April Taylor, a protest organizer. Taylor said Hankison’s resignation from Lexington police allowed him to go to the Louisville Metro Police Department without any issues, indicating that there needs to be more accountability for officers with disciplinary issues.
Lexington protesters planned to gather downtown again Thursday night, Taylor said. They were going to work on a banner to hang in the city and march if enough participants showed up. Schroeder, Louisville’s interim police chief, said the police department anticipates protests to continue in Louisville as well. In Louisville, a curfew is in effect from 9 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. until Saturday morning.
“We can anticipate a variety of protest activities through [Thursday], through the weekend, and continuing on for some time,” Schroeder said.
Reporter Morgan Eads contributed to this story.