Police officer in Breonna Taylor case suing Taylor's boyfriend
A police officer in the Breonna Taylor case is suing Taylor’s boyfriend for emotional distress, battery, and assault.
Louisville Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly entered Taylor’s property with a number of officers in March carrying out a warrant. Kenneth Walker, Taylor’s boyfriend, shot at the police multiple times, later stating that he believed the police were intruders. Walker allegedly hit Mattingly in the leg with one of the shots fired, according to CBS News.
The lawsuit alleges that Mattingly suffered from “severe trauma, mental anguish, and emotional distress” because of Walker, the lawsuit alleges.
“Walker’s conduct in shooting Mattingly is outrageous, intolerable, and offends all accepted standards of decency and morality,” the lawsuit reads.
Louisville police officer sues Kenneth Walker, boyfriend of Breonna Taylor, for emotional distress, assault and battery https://t.co/hA3z9sobfb
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 30, 2020
Walker’s lawyer, Steve Romines, called the lawsuit “baseless,” CBS reported.
“Kenny Walker is protected by law under KRS 503.085 and is immune from both criminal prosecution and civil liability as he was acting in self-defense in his own home,” Romines said in a statement. “Even the most basic understanding of Kentucky’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ law and the ‘Castle Doctrine’ evidences this fact.”
“One would think that breaking into the apartment, executing his girlfriend and framing him for a crime in an effort to cover up her murder would be enough for them,” he added. “Yet this baseless attempt to further victimize and harass Kenny indicates otherwise.”
Mattingly’s lawyer, Kent Wicker, stated that Walker “nearly killed” his client.
“He’s entitled to, and should, use the legal process to seek a remedy for the injury that Walker has caused him,” Wicker stated.
Walker was initially charged with attempted murder because of the shooting, but charges were later dropped and he sued the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department. No officers have faced charges for Breonna Taylor’s death, although an officer was indicted for shooting the apartment next door.
Ian Miles Cheong
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Ian Miles Cheong is a freelance writer, graphic designer, journalist and videographer. He’s kind of a big deal on Twitter.
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