An officer implicated in the tragic death of Breonna Taylor has initiated a lawsuit against her boyfriend, claiming emotional distress and alleging assault and battery from the night of the incident. Louisville police Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, one of the officers who shot Taylor in her apartment due to an erroneous warrant, asserts that he is experiencing “severe trauma, mental anguish, and emotional distress” following the events of that fateful night.
Mattingly was injured during the raid on March 13, where he was shot in the leg. He claims that Kenneth Walker, who was in the apartment with Taylor, acted in a manner that was “outrageous, intolerable and offends all accepted standards of decency and morality” by firing his weapon after the officers forcibly entered the apartment during a no-knock search. The lawsuit contends that Walker either intentionally shot Mattingly or acted recklessly when he discharged his firearm in the direction of the officers.
To recap: police officers broke into an apartment, fatally shot Walker’s girlfriend in front of him, and now the surviving victim of this tragic incident is facing a lawsuit for causing distress.
Mattingly, along with officers Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankison, entered the apartment searching for evidence related to a narcotics investigation. Although Taylor’s address was on the warrant, the actual suspect resided elsewhere. Walker, a licensed gun owner, has always maintained that he fired his weapon because he believed someone was breaking into the apartment, as there was no announcement or warning from the police.
Mattingly’s lawsuit is a counterclaim to a civil suit Walker filed against the Louisville police department and the city in September. Initially charged with attempted murder, Walker’s charges were later dismissed. During a CBS interview, Walker described how he and Taylor heard a loud bang at the door, but when they called out, there was no response. He clearly stated, “It was dead silent. I’m a million percent sure that nobody identified themselves.”
According to Walker, the officers broke down the door, prompting him to grab his firearm out of fear, assuming they were intruders. Reports indicate that Walker’s bullet struck Mattingly, who then, along with his colleagues, returned fire with 32 shots, six of which struck and killed Breonna Taylor.
Mattingly is pursuing a jury trial, seeking damages as well as reimbursement for his legal and medical expenses. Following the incident, he and Cosgrove were placed on administrative leave, while Hankison was fired in June. A grand jury did not indict any of the officers for their roles in Taylor’s death; instead, Hankison faced charges of wanton endangerment for gunfire that struck a neighboring apartment.
Breonna Taylor’s mother has also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the police department and the city, asserting that Walker fired a warning shot when officers entered the apartment. “I never thought it was the police,” Walker expressed in his interview. “Because why would the police be coming here?”
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In summary, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, involved in the shooting of Breonna Taylor, is suing her boyfriend for emotional distress stemming from the incident. This lawsuit raises significant questions about accountability in police operations and the tragic outcomes of such encounters.