The Louisville Metro Police Department is operating under a state of emergency. According to a special order announced on Monday, all LMPD officers are expected to be on call and prepared to work shifts in accordance with the memorandum, which was made effective immediately.
Chief of Police Robert J. Schroeder said in the memo that the decision was being made “in anticipation of Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s announcement in the Breonna Taylor case.”
The declaration was issued along with another memorandum that cancelled all days off and vacation requests that have not already been submitted and approved. “No further off-day or vacation requests will be approved,” the memo said. Schroeder noted that officers will work 12-hour shifts as part of the department’s emergency-response plan.
Currently, the status of Breonna Taylor’s case remains unclear. Cameron announced earlier this month that the details around the death of the former EMT worker would be heard by a grand jury, but specifics about the trial have not been released to the public.
Authorities seem to be preparing for an uptick in protests if Cameron decides not to charge the officers involved in Taylor’s death. The Courier Journal reported that a 3:30 a.m. release from the LMPD on Tuesday cut off downtown access to vehicles, to protect “those coming downtown to express their First Amendment Rights, as well as those who live and work in the area.” Police were ordered to put up vehicle barricades so that only pedestrian access is allowed.
(Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images)
Since Taylor’s death in March, only one of the officers involved in her death has been fired. Brett Hankison was let go from the department in June, after investigators say he displayed an “extreme indifference to the value of human life” when he “wantonly and blindly fired ten (10) rounds into the apartment of Breonna Taylor.”
On Monday, the department confirmed that six LMPD officers are also under investigation by the department’s Professional Standards Unit for their participation in the fatal shooting. As reported by the Courier Journal, the investigation could lead to disciplinary action, ranging from a written reprimand to termination.