Two Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officers were shot Wednesday in downtown Louisville amid growing unrest surrounding the handling of officer-involved shooting case of Breonna Taylor.
Their identities have not been released.
One person has been taken into custody in connection with the shootings, Schroeder added.
One former police officer, Brett Hankison, was indicted for wanton endangerment after he blindly fired 10 shots into Taylor’s apartment when his colleague was shot in the leg by Taylor’s boyfriend.
Potential violations of federal law in connection with the raid are still being investigated by the FBI.
It remains unclear if the shooting Wednesday is related to the protests following the court’s decision.
No further information about the shooting has been made available. LMPD didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden issued a statement on social media saying: “Even amidst the profound grief & anger today’s decision generated, violence is never & can never be the answer. Those who engage in it must be held accountable. Jill & I are keeping the officers shot tonight in Louisville in our prayers. We wish them both a swift & full recovery.”
President Donald Trump said on Twitter that he was praying for the two officers and that the federal government stood ready to help Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear if called on for support.
Beshear said he was thinking of the “two officers and their families tonight” during a press conference.
He urged those who remained out on the streets to “please go home tonight.”
“Let’s make sure we don’t see any more violence tonight, and let’s make sure we find ways of expressing ourselves moving forward where your point and other people’s points are made, and that hopefully we can not just listen, but we can hear.”
Black Lives Matter protesters and agitators had started marching from Jefferson Square Park to Broadway in Louisville on Tuesday evening after Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer declared a state of emergency, signing two executive orders “which allows him to exercise any of his emergency powers.” The order was issued earlier this week.
On Wednesday, streamed footage of the growing protests showed protesters calling for violence, with some saying they should burn the city down.
In March, Taylor was fatally shot six times in her home by officers who had announced themselves before executing a search warrant.
But when no one answered or opened the door, officers breached the door. Kenneth Walker, the boyfriend, later told police he heard knocking but didn’t know who was coming into the home and opened fire in self-defense. Officers then returned fire, killing Taylor.
Taylor’s family settled with the city for $12 million last week.
