Two police officers have been shot in disturbances in Louisville, Kentucky, in the wake of Wednesday’s indictments in the Breonna Taylor death.
Interim Police Chief Robert Schroeder said at a Wednesday night news conference that the two officers went to investigate reports of gunfire but came under fire when they arrived at the scene.
A suspect is in custody, he said. The chief did not name either the suspect or the two wounded officers.
Chief Schroeder said both officers are in stable condition at the University of Louisville Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. One officer is alert and the other in surgery.
“I am very concerned about the safety of our officers,” Chief Schroeder said.
The Louisville Courier-Journal, citing “a source with knowledge of the situation,” reported that the officer in surgery was shot in the lower abdomen in an area not protected by his bulletproof vest, and the other officer was shot in the thigh.
The Trump administration reacted by reiterating its tough line against violent protests.
“Praying for the two police officers that were shot tonight in Louisville, Kentucky. The Federal Government stands behind you and is ready to help. Spoke to @GovAndyBeshear and we are prepared to work together, immediately upon request!” President Trump wrote on Twitter.
Chad Wolf, his acting Homeland Security secretary, posted similarly and added that “violence against law enforcement is NEVER acceptable in a civil society.”
According to videos posted on social media, rioters defying a 9 p.m. curfew were throwing bricks and other missiles at police lines.
The cop shooting came hours after a grand jury announced charges against just one of the three officers involved in Taylor’s death, which, along with the George Floyd death, sparked months of demonstrations and riots accusing the police of racism.
The charges against former detective Brett Hankison also angered Black Lives Matter and allied demonstrators — who were already threatening to burn the city down Wednesday afternoon — because they were not for any form of homicide (first-degree wanton endangerment).
Taylor was killed in March when Louisville police officers fired into her apartment in a drug raid. The grand jury found in its report released Wednesday that Taylor’s boyfriend had fired on the cops when they knocked on the door, which they did despite having a “no-knock warrant.” The officers were thus “justified in their use of force,” the panel said.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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