The Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) declared in a memo obtained by news outlets a "state of emergency" on Monday to prepare for Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron's expected announcement on the Breonna Taylor case.
Of note: Louisville has witnessed more than 115 days of protests over the police killing of Taylor, an unarmed Black woman, with calls for all the officers involved to be charged.
Breaking: Louisville police chief declares state of of emergency in anticipation of Breonna Taylor announcement pic.twitter.com/yu38XDNSXH
— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) September 21, 2020
What's happening: Cameron is expected to announce a decision on charges as early as this week.
- "The public may also see barriers being staged around downtown, which is another part of our preparations," LMPD spokesman Lamont Washington said in a statement to the Courier Journal announcing that department was cancelling all pending vacation request and days off. "It is important to note that the AG has said there is no timetable for the announcement."
- Two federal buildings, including the federal courthouse, in downtown Louisville have also been closed and boarded up in preparation of an announcement, local media reported.
Catch up quick: Taylor was shot dead by police on March 13 when LMPD officers conducting a narcotics investigation barged into the 26-year-old's home in plain-clothes to serve a "no-knock" warrant.
- Police exchanged fire with Taylor's boyfriend, who said he fired believing the home was being broken into.
- Protests over Taylor's death erupted in Louisville in May following the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota.
- The Louisville Metro Council has since banned no-knock warrants.
- Last week, Louisville announced a $12 million settlement package with Taylor's family. The settlement also includes a series of police reforms. Taylor's family has continued to call for the officers involved in her death to be charged.
Go deeper: What you need to know about the Breonna Taylor shooting
