Two police officers were shot Wednesday night as emotions ran high and protesters took to the streets following a day that brought angry response to a prosecutor’s decision to charge only one of the officers involved in the Breonna Taylor shooting.
Louisville Interim Police Chief Robert Schroeder confirmed that two officers were shot and were being treated at area hospitals. Both are expected to recover. An FBI SWAT team is on the scene to help with the investigation.
The Louisville Courier Journal, one of USA TODAY’s partners on its national network, reports that one officer was shot in the abdomen and is in surgery, and a second was shot in the thigh.
One suspect is in custody, but the chief did not identify the suspect. “I’m very concerned about the safety of our officers. The safety of our officers and the community we serve is of the utmost importance,” Schroeder said.
He said the officers were shot after investigating reports of gunfire at an intersection where there was a large crowd.
Across the nation, other protests brought scores of people. But no other violence was reported as of 10 p.m. ET.
President Donald Trump said he was praying for the injured officers.
On Wednesday, a Kentucky grand jury indicted one of three police officers involved in the incident on charges of wanton endangerment for shooting a gun into a neighboring apartment. Former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison is facing three felony charges. Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove, two other officers involved, were not charged.
Taylor, a 26-year-old ER technician, was killed after officers used a search warrant at her apartment shortly before 1 a.m. on March 13, looking for drugs and cash as part of a larger narcotics investigation connected to her former boyfriend. She was shot six times.❐
