The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office announced the hiring of ex-Louisville police officer Myles Cosgrove, who infamously shot and killed Breonna Taylor during a drug raid, igniting nationwide protests. Cosgrove was fired in January 2021 from Louisville Metro Police for violating use-of-force protocols and neglecting to wear a body camera during the fatal raid. Residents of Carrollton, a rural county northeast of Louisville, protested the controversial hiring, with demonstrators showing up in the downtown area holding placards saying “Cosgrove has got to go.” “I think he should be in jail,” said Haley Wilson, a 24-year-old Carrollton resident, adding that it is “absolutely ridiculous” that Cosgrove is now policing their town.
During the March 13, 2020 raid, Cosgrove fired 16 rounds into Taylor’s apartment after the front door was breached, with the victim struck and killed by the officer’s bullet. After the raid, Cosgrove and Officer Jonathan Mattingly, who was also involved in the shooting, were not charged after a grand jury inquiry. A subsequent FBI investigation also absolved the officers of any wrongdoing. However, the probe found that the main officers who were involved in drafting the drug warrant that led to the raid had supplied false information about Taylor.
The hiring comes as a surprise considering that Kentucky Law Enforcement Council refused to revoke Cosgrove’s state peace officer certification, which would have precluded him from applying for other law enforcement jobs in the state. Today, there is no national database that catalogues the employment history of police officers involved in misconduct cases, making it possible for them to apply for fresh jobs often unaware of their history. Aside from the demonstrations, residents of Carrolton expressed concerns over the decision to hire an officer with such a notoriety, with some citing possible repercussions and others asking if the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office couldn’t find a better applicant than Cosgrove.
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