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2 Officers Shot During Protests Over Charges in Louisville Police Shooting of
Black Woman

VOA News

   A grand jury in the U.S. cityof Louisville, Kentucky,Wednesdaychargeda
   former police officerwithwantonendangermentfor shooting into the
   apartment of the neighbors ofaBlack woman,Breonna Taylor,who was killed
   duringa bungled drug raid in March.

   The grand jurydecided that two other officerswere justified in firing
   their weaponsand cleared them of wrongdoing.No officers were charged
   directly with Taylor's death.All three officers involved are white.

   Taylor family attorney Ben Crump said, "While not fully what we wanted,
   this brings us closer" to justice for Taylor.But in a second tweet,
   Crump said the fact that no one was charged directly withTaylor's death
   was "outrageous and offensive."

   Initially, thousands of peoplepeacefully protested the decisioninthe
   city of 600,000.But the protests turned violent Wednesday
   night,withpolice and protesters clashing, and protesters setting fires
   in downtown Louisville, according to local media.

   Late Wednesday, two Louisville police officers were shot and suffered
   non-life-threatening wounds, a Louisville Metro Police Department
   spokesman said. The spokesman added that police had "one suspect in
   custody."

   Around 5 p.m. local time, Louisville police had declared the protest a
   riot and ordered protesters to "immediately disperse."Officersemployed
   flash bang devices to clear protesters from a downtown area later
   Wednesday.

   Mayor Greg Fischer ordered a 72-hour curfew, beginning at 9 p.m.
   Wednesday. Much of the city's downtown area had been closed to traffic.

   The LouisvilleCourier Journalreported thatnearly 30protestershad
   beenarrestedlate Wednesday.

   Brett Hankison,who is white, andthe lone officer charged in thecase,
   hadalready beenfired from the city police department after an
   investigation showed he fired 10 shots into Taylor's apartment through
   a sliding glass door covered with blinds, violating police rules
   thatofficersshould have a clear line of sight before firing their
   weapons.

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