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Two police officers were shot in Louisville, Kentucky, as protests over the shooting death of Breonna Taylor turned violent on the evening of September 23, according to the police chief.
The suspect was identified as Larynzo Johnson, 26.
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In a press conference, Louisville Police Chief Robert Schroeder said that at about 8:30 p.m. on September 23, officers were called to a report of a large crowd with shots fired. Shots rang out, and “two of our officers were shot,” the chief said. One officer is alert and stable; the second officer is undergoing surgery and is stable, the chief said. One suspect is in custody, said the chief.
MugshotLarynzo Johnson.
“Obviously we have two officers shot tonight,” the chief added. “The safety of our officers and the community we serve is of utmost importance. The chief said the officers suffered non-life-threatening wounds.
NEW: Here are the two @LMPD officers who were shot last night.
On the left – Mjr. Aubrey Gregory, a 21-year vet who Chief Robert Schroeder called the “bedrock” of LMPD’s protest response.
On the right – Robinson Desroches, who’s been on the force since 2019.
News broke first of one officer shot.
“JUST IN — MetroSafe confirms a police officer was just shot at Brook and Broadway. #Louisville,” Fallon Glick of WDRB-TV reported on Twitter.
Tori Gessner, a WAVE 3 News reporter, wrote on Twitter: “#BREAKING An LMPD officer was shot downtown near Brook and Broadway, according to a department spokesperson.”
Then came reports that at least two officers were shot.
“We’ve got one down,” a person says in this video.
“WARNING: This video may be disturbing. @khyati_tv caught the moment leading up to the officer being shot in downtown Louisville. You hear it, but do not see it. Team of officers rush to ambulance,” wrote journalist Amber Smith.
WARNING: This video may be disturbing. @khyati_tv caught the moment leading up to the officer being shot in downtown Louisville. You hear it, but do not see it. Team of officers rush to ambulance.
The news had just broken, and further details were not known.
JUST IN — MetroSafe confirms a police officer was just shot at Brook and Broadway. #Louisville
However, video also emerged on social media showing gunfire erupting in the streets. The Louisville police were also livestreaming from the scene; “shots fired,” an officer says in their video.
Shots fired at police in Louisville. t.co/YWUSuoV6u3
Here’s what you need to know:
‘They’re Blasting at the Police,’ a Man Said on a Video
“S*** they’re shooting real guns,” someone shouts in the video. “They’re blasting at the police.”
Max Gersh, a photographer working for the Courier Journal, told the newspaper that he saw “a line of officers move toward a gas station with rifles up. Shortly after, they had somebody pinned to the ground and cuffed.”
An unlawful assembly was declared around 8 p.m., according to NPR.
The police were livestreaming from the scene. They ran the video on their Facebook page.
Gunfire Burst Out in the Streets
[UNCONFIRMED] Possible shots at Louisville police by people in the protest crowd after teargas deployed. Via: Reggie Inkagnedo on YouTube #Louisville
The violence erupted after authorities announced that the officers who shot Taylor will not be criminally charged because her boyfriend opened fire on them first. One officer was criminally charged with wanton endangerment, but the charge involved bullets that entered nearby apartments. The officer was not charged in Taylor’s death, and there is no conclusive evidence that Taylor was struck by any of Hankison’s bullets, Attorney General Daniel Cameron said on September 23. He added that the FBI found the fatal bullet came from Cosgrove’s gun, but the investigation concluded Cosgrove was justified in his use of force.
That has led to an eruption of anger and unrest in the streets.
The Louisville mayor ordered a curfew as authorities prepared for a night of unrest.
People were also setting fires.
Many protesters remain at Sixth and Jefferson. There are two fires burning, one in a trash can. #Louisville #BreonnaTaylor
“The FBI Louisville SWAT team has responded to an LMPD officer being shot and will continue to assist in the investigation,” the FBI’s Louisville office wrote on Twitter.
NPR reported that at least “one group dressed in camouflage and carrying long guns was seen walking through the streets.”
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