Myles Cosgrove is the Louisville, Kentucky, police detective who fired the shot that killed Breonna Taylor, according to the FBI. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron explained during a news conference on September 23 that he asked the FBI crime lab to step in after state investigators struggled to determine which gun the fatal shot had come from, the Washington Post reported.
Cosgrove has been on administrative leave since the shooting. A grand jury has ruled that he will not face charges for the deadly shooting. The jury also decided against indicting Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly on any charges. Former detective Brett Hankison, who was fired in June, has been charged with three felony counts of wanton endangerment.
Here’s what you need to know:
AG Cameron: Cosgrove & Mattingly’s Use of Force Was Justified
Cosgrove was one of three officers who fired their weapons inside Taylor’s apartment as they executed a no-knock search warrant on March 13. But he and Mattingly are not facing charges. As Cameron explained during a news conference streamed by FOX10 News, the grand jury ruled the officers were justified in using force because Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, had fired at them first.
Cameron explained that Cosgrove was standing in the doorway when he fired his weapon 16 times. At the same time, and within a matter of seconds, Mattingly fired an additional six shots. Taylor was hit by six bullets.
Cameron said that according to medical investigators, only one of the shots was fatal. He said evidence showed that Taylor “would have died from the fatal shot within a few seconds to two minutes after being struck.”
Cameron added that there was no “conclusive evidence” to suggest that any of Hankison’s shots struck Taylor. But bullets from his gun did strike an adjacent apartment, which is what led to the wanton endangerment charges. Cameron said a pregnant woman, a man and a child were home at the time. According to the Louisville Courier Journal, the victims listed in the indictment were identified by initials only.
Cosgrove Was Sued for Excessive Force After Shooting a Driver 7 Times in 2006 But He Was Cleared of Wrongdoing
Western District of KentuckyDetective Myles Cosgrove was cleared of wrongdoing in a 2006 shooting.
Cosgrove shot a man seven times during a traffic stop on December 23, 2006. He was accused of using excessive force and for making an arrest without probable cause. But a judge ultimately ruled in Cosgrove’s favor and the shooting victim received a jail sentence.
According to a court document from the western district of Kentucky, Cosgrove approached a vehicle at a Speedway gas station in Louisville at approximately 12:45 a.m. Cosgrove recognized the vehicle as one that he had tried to stop one week before on suspicion of drunken driving. As he approached the vehicle on foot, the driver, identified as Arthur Satterly, put the car in reverse and backed up “at a high rate of speed.”
Cosgrove broke the driver’s side window with his flashlight and Satterly then tried to drive away. According to the memorandum opinion signed by the judge on the civil case, “Cosgrove claims that Satterly accelerated back into gear toward him, and that he feared for his life and the safety of others. As Satterly maneuvered away, Cosgrove fired eleven (11) shots into the driver’s side door, hitting Satterly seven times. The car came to a stop on an embankment approximately fifty (50) yards from the locus of the melee. The entire episode unfolded in approximately thirty (30) seconds.”
Satterly survived the shooting. Cosgrove, along with two passengers in the car, were not injured. According to the court document, Satterly argued that he had been “arrested without probable cause” and that Cosgrove had used excessive force. But Judge James M. Shake disagreed with that sentiment and denied Satterly’s request to have his arrest tossed. A jury later convicted Satterly for wanton endangerment, fleeing police and operating a vehicle without a license. He was sentenced to four years behind bars.
Satterly also filed a civil lawsuit against Cosgrove. Judge Charles Simpson III explained in the “discussion” section of the memorandum opinion:
In examining the totality of the circumstances, the Court finds that there were sufficient facts available to Officer Cosgrove to conduct an investigative stop. He had observed the car and its license plate during the chase on December 12th. He recognized the car. He checked the plate based upon the number he had written down that night. He was prepared to identify the driver and question him about those events when he fled. At that time, probable cause ripened however, he simply did not have time to complete any investigation.
Cosgrove Was Reprimanded for Unprofessional Behavior in 2009 But Praised for Deescalating a Dangerous Situation in 2016
Cosgrove has been working for the Louisville Metro Police Department since 2005, WAVE-TV reported. According to the New York Times, Cosgrove has been with the narcotics division for the past three years.
According to his personnel file, obtained by WHAS-TV in Louisville, Cosgrove has received praise from superiors both before and after he joined narcotics. Former Louisville Police Chief Steve Conrad, who was fired in June, noted that Cosgrove was skilled in “deescalating dangerous situations” and praised him for his “dedication” and “perseverance.” Conrad was likely referring to a 2016 case in which Cosgrove convinced a suspect, who had fired a gun at officers, to peacefully surrender, WDRB-TV reported.
WDRB-TV, also citing the personnel file, reported that Cosgrove was also credited for “excellent attention to detail” in 2014 after discovering an active meth lab while serving an arrest warrant.
Cosgrove’s resume includes a few negative remarks. WHAS-TV reported that in 2009, Cosgrove was reprimanded for his behavior toward a civilian. His conduct was described as “very unprofessional.” Cosgrove was also suspended for one day in 2013, and again in 2016, for failing to show up for court cases.
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