A Kentucky judge permanently dropped the charges against B, boyfriend of who died during a police raid last March. Kenneth Walker, boyfriend of Breonna Taylor. Taylor died last March after officers raided her apartment and opened fire.
Walker faced assault and attempted murder of a police officer after allegedly shooting and wounding Louisville Police Officer Jonathan Mattingly. Walker told authorities he thought someone was breaking in the apartment where he and Breonna were sleeping, and his lawyers maintained that he acted in self-defense. Officers reportedly raided her apartment in search of an ex-boyfriend of Taylor’s and illegal drugs. Breonna was 26 years old at the time of her tragic death.
Walker was put in jail after the raid and, according to a CBS News report, charges against him were initially dropped in May 2020, but not completely. They were dropped without prejudice which meant Walker could face the same charges again. At the time, Jefferson Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Wine stated that further investigation of the incident was needed, and warned that Walker’s case could be brought before a grand jury for a second time.
On Monday (March 8), Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Olu Stevens granted the motion by local prosecutors to dismiss the charges against Walker, for good this time. Prosecutors submitted the motion to drop the charges last week, citing that “no new information relevant to the charges against [Walker] in this matter has been brought to the Commonwealth’s attention.”
Walker’s attorney, Steve Romines, told the outlet Walker was “relieved” by the motion made last week.
“After the worst year of [his] life, prosecutors have finally acknowledged that he did nothing wrong and acted in self-defense,” Romines said. “He looks forward to continuing to fight to hold the real wrongdoers accountable for the harm that they’ve caused. Both he, individually, and our community, as a whole, cannot begin the process of healing until that happens.”
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