The crime scene left behind after Breonna Taylor was shot and killed in her own apartment was a show of chaos … so it seems from the first body cam footage released that shows the aftermath.
VICE News just posted two brief clips from hours of body camera footage they obtained from responding SWAT team members and other officers from LMPD. They showed up immediately after the deadly shooting March 13 that left Breonna dead in her apartment.
The two videos — as well as other footage VICE will presumably release — depict the moments after officers Hankison, Cosgrove and Mattingly fired dozens of rounds into Breonna’s unit, and both are disturbing.
The first video shows what VICE says is Kenneth Walker — Breonna’s boyfriend — being screamed at by a cop who threatened to sic a K-9 unit on him, telling him to get on his knees and not to look back. Eventually, other officers arrive — including Hankison himself, per VICE — and they cuff Walker. VICE reports Hankison tells Walker in the video that he’s going to jail forever, but the clip they posted cuts out before any such thing can be clearly heard.
The second video shows perhaps an even more unsettling sight — VICE reports it’s Hankison again here (the cop who fired from outside the apartment) walking into Breonna’s apartment after SWAT members had gone in to start investigating. He asks if any of the rounds were theirs, and seemingly tries having his run of the place before one SWAT officer tells him to scram, as it’s an active crime scene and as such he shouldn’t be roaming around unescorted.
In this second video, you also see the inside of Breonna’s apartment … including the hallway she and her boyfriend were apparently fired upon as Mattingly and Cosgrove first entered.
Speaking of not being escorted, VICE reports from the 40 hours-plus of footage they’ve scoured … this is a trend they’ve seen. Namely, the seven officers directly involved in the raid — including Hankison and Cosgrove — were NOT separated or paired with another officer … basically, getting them the hell away from there, which is LMPD policy. Instead several of them reportedly stayed on scene, and even conducted witness interviews … this per VICE.
If true, it makes one wonder about the integrity of the crime scene. As you know … no officers were charged with Breonna’s killing.
