A Kentucky police detective facing termination in connection with his role in the raid that left Breonna Taylor dead has met with his police chief, an attorney said Monday.
Detectives Myles Cosgrove and Joshua Jaynes received notice last week from Louisville Police Interim Chief Yvette Gentry that she intends to fire them. Both were scheduled to appear for termination hearings Monday.
Jaynes met with Gentry on Monday “to explain his perspective surrounding the investigation and proposed discipline,” according to a statement from Jaynes’ attorneys provided to media outlets. Jaynes is awaiting Gentry’s decision, the statement said.
Cosgrove’s attorney did not reply to a message seeking information about his status on Monday.
The proceedings are not open to the public but are designed to give the officers an opportunity to argue against their firings.
Taylor, a Black woman, was killed March 13 by police executing a narcotics search warrant. None of the three white officers who fired into Taylor’s home were charged by a grand jury in her death.
Investigators said Cosgrove fired 16 rounds into the apartment after the front door was breached and Taylor’s boyfriend fired a shot at them. Federal ballistics experts said they believe the shot that killed Taylor came from Cosgrove.
Gentry wrote that Cosgrove failed to “properly identify a target” when he fired, according to media reports of the letter, which has not been released.
Jaynes was not at the scene the night of the shooting but sought the warrant that sent police to Taylor’s home. Gentry said Jaynes lied about how he obtained some information about Taylor in the warrant.
An internal investigation by Louisville police found Jaynes violated department procedures for preparation of a search warrant and truthfulness, his attorney, Thomas Clay said. Jaynes acknowledged in a May interview with Louisville police investigators that he didn’t personally verify that a drug trafficking suspect, Jamarcus Glover, was receiving mail at Taylor’s apartment, even though he had said in an earlier affidavit that he had. Jaynes said he relied instead on information from a fellow officer.
Jaynes and Cosgrove have been on administrative leave, along with another officer who was at the raid, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly. Mattingly was shot in the leg by Taylor’s boyfriend, who said he thought an intruder was breaking into the home.
