Breonna Taylor grand juror says Louisville police actions before her death were "criminal"
Two grand jurors in the Breonna Taylor case spoke to "CBS This Morning" co-host Gayle King in an exclusive interview set to air Wednesday. The two men, who asked to remain anonymous for their safety, said they were never given the option to consider murder or manslaughter charges — with one calling the police's actions and behaviors the night Taylor was killed "criminal."
One of the jurors, Juror No. 1, released a written statement last week criticizing Kentucky Attorney General Cameron over the grand jury proceedings.
In a September 23 news conference, Cameron said his investigation found — "and the grand jury agreed" — that the two officers who opened fire from Taylor's doorway on March 13, killing her, were justified because they were returning a shot fired by her boyfriend Kenneth Walker. Because of that, Cameron said, six possible homicide charges under Kentucky law were not applicable to the case.
In King's exclusive interview, the two grand jurors disputed Cameron's public comments regarding the case, and said they were never given the option to consider murder or manslaughter charges — though Juror No. 2, who called Louisville police's actions "criminal," said the entire operation that resulted in Taylor's death was full of "deception."
"They were criminal leading up to this in everything that they — the way they moved forward on it, including the warrant," he said.
Juror No.1 said they wanted to consider other charges, but were told "there would be none because the prosecutors didn't feel they could make them stick."
Authorities were executing a search warrant for a drug case connected to Taylor's ex-boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover. No drugs were found in Taylor's apartment, and Glover has said that Taylor had never been involved in any drug trading. Taylor, a 26-year old emergency medical worker with no criminal record, was shot at least five times.
"They couldn't even provide a risk assessment," Juror No. 1 said of the police department. "It sounded like they hadn't done one."
He accused the department of being "negligent" throughout the entire process leading up to and after the night in question.
"Their organization leading up to this was lacking… that's what I mean by they were negligent in the operation," Juror No. 1 said.
After Cameron's press conference announcing no charges directly linked to Taylor's killing, protesters took to the streets calling for justice in Breonna Taylor's name.
Now-fired Louisville police officer Brett Hankison was indicted on wanton endangerment charges for firing shots into a neighbor's apartment during the raid. He has pleaded not guilty.
Police claimed they identified themselves before entering the apartment. However, Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, said in a separate exclusive interview with "CBS This Morning" that he was "a million percent sure that nobody identified themselves."
Watch "CBS This Morning" on Wednesday at 7a ET to see more of King's exclusive interview with the two grand jurors.
