Police told ‘no suspicious,’ drug-related packages sent to Breonna Taylor’s home
An internal investigation by the LMPD has determined that police were told no suspicious packages were sent to Breonna Taylor's home
Louisville police were told that there were no “suspicious or otherwise,” or drug-related packages sent to the home of Breonna Taylor according to testimony from an LMPD report.
Suspected drug trafficking has long been believed the catalyst for the botched no-knock raid that resulted in Taylor’s death. On March 12, the day before Taylor’s death, Detective Joshua Jaynes claimed he “verified through a US Postal Inspector that Jamarcus Glover has been receiving packages.” Glover is Taylor’s ex-boyfriend who had items sent to her home and has insisted they were only clothing.
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However, an internal investigation has cast doubt on that narrative, WDRB News reported Wednesday. The outlet obtained an investigative report from LMPD’s Public Integrity Unit which stated that officers asked the Shively Police Department to check with the postal service and determine if drugs were being sent to the EMT’s home.
Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, one of the officers involved in the fatal raid, was asked by Shively police Sgt. Timothy Salyer in May about the affidavit that was used to authorize the raid. Mattingly apparently said there were no packages at the residence.
“Sgt. Mattingly stated he told Detective Jaynes there was no package history at that address,” Salyer told investigators, according to a summary of the interview.
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The summary added that Mattingly had reached out to Salyer and Detective Mike Kuzma of the Shively department in January at the behest of Jaynes to find out if any packages were being sent to Taylor’s home. Glover received a package on Jan.16 that was sent to Taylor’s home. Police believed it was narcotics, prompting Mattingly to ask Salyer and Kuzma for an investigation.
Salyer told Mattingly that “no packages had been received at the address and the post office did not receive any packages either,” he told Sgt. Jason Vance and Sgt. Jeremy Ruoff, who oversaw the interview. The date of this interview was not mentioned in the summary.
A week later after Detective Mike Nobles and Detective Kelly Hanna of the LMPD contacted Salyer about the issue and he “told them the same information.”
Taylor died on March 13 after a judge approved an early morning raid based on information provided by the police officers who said that her home was a “known drug house.” She was at home with her boyfriend Kenneth Walker who believed that they were being burglarized. Walker, a licensed gun owner, shot. Officers responded with fire.
Taylor was struck six times and died at the scene. A month after her death, the summary stated that Salyer received a text from Jaynes who was inquiring once more about packages sent to Taylor’s home.
“Sgt. Sayler (sic) was confused as to why Detective Jaynes contacted him almost a month after the shooting incident inquiring about packages being delivered to the address,” according to the summary.
Jaynes has since been reassigned over his conduct.
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Taylor’s death created backlash over how the raid was executed, and protests were held for months demanding that the officers involved be charged with connection to her death.
theGrio reported that the ballistics report provided by the Kentucky State Police did not support Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s claim that Walker shot Mattingly the night she was killed. Cameron asserted that Brett Hankison did not fire the shot that went through Mattingly‘s thigh, prompting him and Cosgrove to return fire, killing Taylor.
Hankison was fired from the force for his actions during the raid and pleaded not guilty to three counts of wanton endangerment on Monday.
Officers Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove remain on the force.
A judge has ordered the transcripts of the grand jury deliberations to be released on Friday.
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