Officer accused of shooting Breonna Taylor calls protesters ‘thugs’ in alleged email
'It's sad how the good guys are demonized, and criminals are canonized,' Sgt. John Mattingly allegedly wrote to colleagues.
As the city waits with bated breath for a decision in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor, one of the officers involved in the case, allegedly sent an email to over 1,000 officers at 2 a.m. complaining about the investigation.
Roberto Aram Ferdman, a correspondent from VICE News, posted the letter in full on Twitter. The veracity of the email has not been verified by TheGrio.
In the email, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly allegedly wrote that he is “sorry” that his “LMPD Family” has to “go through this.” He writes that he is sorry Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, Amy Hess, the city’s chief of public service, and Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Steve Conrad “failed all of us in epic proportions for their own gain.”
“You DO NOT DESERVE to be in this position,” the letter reads, “The position that allows thugs to get in your face and yell, curse and degrade you. Throw bricks, bottles, and urine on you and expect you to do nothing. It goes against EVERYTHING we were all taught in the academy.”
“The position that if you make a mistake during one of the most stressful times in your career, the department and FBI (who aren’t cops and would piss their pants if they had to hold the line) go after you for civil rights violations. Your civil rights mean nothing, but the criminal has total autonomy,” it continued.
The letter goes on to say that cops sign up to “protect those who cannot protect themselves.” It reads that “we as police DO NOT CARE if you are Black, white, Hispanic, Asian, what you identify as…this week. We aren’t better than anyone. This is not an us against society, but it is good versus evil.”
Read More: Louisville police officers under investigation in Breonna Taylor shooting death
The letter goes on to say that the author is “still proud to be a cop. To be an LMPD cop. No matter the ineptitude in upper command or the mayor’s office.”
“With that being said these next few days are going to be tough. They are going to be long, they are going to be frustrating. They will put a tremendous amount of stress on your families.”
“Do what you need to do to go home you (sic) your family. Just do it with dignity and make sure you can justify your actions because everything down there is recorded.”
Read More: Regina King accepts Emmy for ‘Watchmen’ wearing Breonna Taylor t-shirt
As the letter comes to a close, the author appears to allude to Taylor’s killing: “I know we did the legal, moral, and ethical thing that night. It’s sad how the good guys are demonized, and criminals are canonized.”
“Stay safe and do the right thing,” it says near the end. “YOU ARE LOVED AND SUPPORTED by most of the community. Now go be the Warriors you are, but please be safe! None of these ‘peaceful’ protesters are worth your career or freedom.”
The letter is signed “Sgt. John Mattingly.”
Fischer issued a state of emergency yesterday in anticipation of an announcement related to the Taylor case this week by Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
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