A Louisville police officer involved in the death of Breonna Taylor is suing her boyfriend for emotional distress, assault and battery.
Louisville Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly was one of the officers who entered Taylor’s apartment with a warrant in March. Kenneth Walker, Taylor’s boyfriend, shot at police and later said he believed they were intruders. Walker allegedly hit Mattingly in the leg with one of the shots, according to CBS News.
A firearms experts’ report backed up the allegation that Walker hit Mattingly, prompting another officer to return fire, the Courier Journal previously reported. (RELATED: Firearms Experts’ Report Shows Breonna Taylor’s Boyfriend Fired Shot That Wounded Officer, Dismissing ‘Friendly Fire’ Theory)
Mattingly suffered from “severe trauma, mental anguish, and emotional distress” because of Walker, the lawsuit alleges according to CBS.
“Walker’s conduct in shooting Mattingly is outrageous, intolerable, and offends all accepted standards of decency and morality,” the lawsuit reads.
Louisville police officer sues Kenneth Walker, boyfriend of Breonna Taylor, for emotional distress, assault and battery https://t.co/hA3z9sobfb
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 30, 2020
Steve Romines, a lawyer for Walker, called the lawsuit “baseless,” CBS reported.
“Kenny Walker is protected by law under KRS 503.085 and is immune from both criminal prosecution and civil liability as he was acting in self defense in his own home,” Romines said in a statement to the network. “Even the most basic understanding of Kentucky’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ law and the ‘Castle Doctrine’ evidences this fact.”
“One would think that breaking into the apartment, executing his girlfriend and framing him for a crime in an effort to cover up her murder would be enough for them,” he added. “Yet this baseless attempt to further victimize and harass Kenny indicates otherwise.”
Kent Wicker, Mattingly’s lawyer, said that Walker “nearly killed” his client.
“He’s entitled to, and should, use the legal process to seek a remedy for the injury that Walker has caused him,” Wicker said.
Walker was originally charged with attempted murder because of the shooting, but the charges were dropped and he sued the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department. No officers have been charged for Taylor’s death, although one was indicted for shooting an apartment next door.