A 26-year-old man from Kentucky accused of shooting two officers during a Breonna Taylor protest earlier this year has been indicted on 35 charges, prosecutors say.
Larynzo D. Johnson, 26, was indicted on two counts of first-degree assault and 33 counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, according to a news release from Jefferson Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Wine’s office.
The office added that the charges that arose for Johnson are from a Sept. 23 incident when he allegedly fired a handgun multiple times during a Taylor protest. The gunfire struck two officers and endangered the lives of other nearby civilians and officers.
Johnson is being held on a $1 million bond and is scheduled for arraignment on Nov. 23 in Jefferson Circuit Court. It’s unclear whether Johnson has an attorney to comment on his behalf.
The shooting drew widespread condemnation from elected officials, including President Donald Trump.
Louisville Metro Police Department Officer Robinson Desrouches (left) and Major Aubrey Gregory. Courtesy of LMPD
“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!” Trump wrote on Twitter.
The two injured Louisville Metro Police Department officers have since recovered, The Associated Press reported. Officer Robinson Desroches was shot in the abdomen and Major Aubrey Gregory was shot in the hip.
In addition to the shooting, LMPD officials confirmed that 127 people were arrested during unrest that night.
The unrest came after Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced that a former Louisville officer, Brett Hankison, was charged with wanton endangerment after he allegedly fired shots into Taylor’s neighbor’s apartment.
People prepare plywood shields for a march in Louisville, Ky., on Sept. 24, 2020. Bryan Woolston/Reuters
Protesters spend time in a church lot, in Louisville. Ky., on Sept. 25, 2020. Darron Cummings/AP Photo
Taylor was killed on March 13 when Louisville police officers executed a search warrant on her apartment. They knocked and announced themselves and, when nobody answered, broke inside. They were met in the hallway by Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who had his gun drawn, according to Cameron. Walker shot one of the officers in the leg, upon which the officers returned fire, killing Taylor. Hankison was not the officer who hit Taylor.
Taylor’s death was cited as one of the most common reasons for protests against police in cities across the country, together with the death of George Floyd during his arrests in Minneapolis in May. Since then, thousands of protests have erupted, hundreds turning violent. Typically, the protests stay peaceful during the day but turn violent at night.
The shooting of the two officers came about two weeks after two Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department deputies were shot in an ambush attack.
Epoch Times reporter Petr Svab contributed to this report.
