Jan. 7 (UPI) — Two Louisville detectives connected with the death of Breonna Taylor, who was killed in a police shooting in her apartment last year, have been fired by the local police department Tuesday.
Myles Cosgrove, who the FBI concluded fire the shots that killed 26-year-old Taylor, and Joshua Jaynes were officially relieved of duties. The Louisville Metro Police Department said Cosgrove violated procedures for use of force and failing to use a body camera in executing the search warrant at Taylor’s apartment on March 13.
Jaynes, who got the search warrant for Taylor’s apartment, violated department policy for truthfulness and search warrant preparation, the department said. Brett Hankison was fired in June for blindly firing 10 rounds into Taylor’s apartment during the search.
The department moved to fire both last month.
In September, Hankison pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment in charges brought by Jefferson County prosecutors. Cosgrove and Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, a third officer involved in the search warrant and shooting, were not indicted on those charges.
Cosgrove and Jaynes will have an opportunity to appeal the firing.
In an email to Louisville police leadership, Cosgrove said Tuesday he was being fired “due to the political pressures involved with the Breonna Taylor investigation.”
“Think about that the next time you put on the uniform and badge,” Cosgrove said. “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.”
Taylor’s death helped spark nationwide social justice rallies around the country and rekindled the Black Lives Matter movement.
