The Latest: Taylor’s family to hold Friday news conference

Associated Press

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The Latest on a grand jury’s decision not to indict police officers on criminal charges directly related to Breonna Taylor’s death: (all times EDT)

4:30 p.m.

The family of Breonna Taylor plans to hold a news conference Friday morning along with civil rights attorney Ben Crump in Louisville.

A news release says they’ll address a grand jury’s decision Wednesday to not indict any of the police officers for Taylor’s death at the news conference scheduled for 10:30 a.m. EDT.

Cities around the country have seen protesters take to the streets following the grand jury decision.

3:45 p.m.

Police stand at an intersection after an officer was shot, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, in Louisville, Ky.[AP Photo/John Minchillo]

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Amy McGrath says there is a need to “tackle the systemic racism” in the U.S.

McGrath is challenging U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in Kentucky’s November election. She met in downtown Louisville on Thursday with some of the protesters who have taken to the streets to seek justice for Breonna Taylor.

Demonstrators turned out Wednesday in Louisville and throughout the country to express their disappointment that police officers weren’t criminally charged in her fatal shooting during a botched drug raid in March.

McGrath called for Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron to release details about the evidence presented to the grand jury in the Taylor case. She faced pushback from some protesters. Rose Henderson says McGrath’s appearance was “all about politics and cameras.”

2:05 p.m.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany says she’s not aware of any conversation between President Donald Trump and the family of Breonna Taylor but that their hearts go out to her family.

Asked what the president’s message is to Taylor’s family, McEnany said what happened is “a horrible tragedy” and that their hearts are also with the two police officers who were shot Wednesday night during protests in Louisville.

Cities around the country saw protesters take to the streets following a Kentucky grand jury’s decision to not indict officers in Taylor’s fatal shooting.

1:40 p.m.

A newspaper publisher says two of the paper’s reporters were arrested during protests in Louisville after a grand jury’s decision to not indict officers in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor.

Daily Caller publisher Neil Patel says the two reporters were peacefully doing their jobs Wednesday night but police refused to release them.

Police on Thursday confirmed that Shelby Talcott was charged with failure to disperse and unlawful assembly and Jorge Ventura was charged with failure to disperse and violation of curfew. No further details were immediately released.

Cities around the country saw protesters take to the streets following a Kentucky grand jury’s decision.

12:20 p.m.

An arrest citation says video has been recovered that shows 26-year-old Larynzo Johnson shooting at two police officers who were wounded during protests in Louisville over a grand jury’s decision in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor.

The citation says Johnson was among a crowd in downtown Louisville that had been told to disperse after setting fires and causing property damage. The citation says Johnson intentionally fired multiple times at officers, hitting two of them.

Johnson has been charged with two counts of assault on a police officer and multiple charges of wanton endangerment of police officers.

Interim Police Chief Robert Schroeder said the two officers are “doing well and will survive their injuries.” Maj. Aubrey Gregory was shot in the hip and was treated and released from the hospital. Officer Robinson Desrouches was shot in the abdomen and underwent surgery.

11:45 a.m.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says peaceful protests honor Breonna Taylor’s memory but he’s condemning violence that erupted after a grand jury didn’t indict officers in Taylor’s fatal shooting.

The Kentucky Republican on Thursday called on the state’s governor and Louisville’s mayor, both Democrats, to take “every necessary step” to secure peace in the state’s largest city.

Two Louisville police officers were shot Wednesday night during protests. McConnell called the shootings acts of “despicable cowardice that must be met with the full force of the law.”

McConnell is running for reelection this year and also says he has full confidence in Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s “painstaking pursuit of facts and justice” in the Taylor case.

11:35 a.m.

Interim Louisville Police Chief Robert Schroeder says two of the officers involved in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor remain on administrative leave.

Officers Myles Cosgrove and Jonathan Mattingly were among the officers who burst into Taylor’s apartment on March 13 and Schroeder said Thursday morning they have not returned to active duty.

The third officer, Brett Hankison, was fired after the shooting and was charged Wednesday for shooting into neighboring apartments.

11:15 a.m.

Louisville’s police chief says a man has been charged in the shooting of two officers during protests over a grand jury’s decision in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer says one officer was treated and released with a leg wound. Another officer was shot in the abdomen and the mayor says he’s doing well after surgery.

Officials also say a curfew remains in effect for the next two nights after fires and and violence against police officers during protests.

Cities around the country saw protesters take to the streets following a Kentucky grand jury’s decision.

11:05 a.m.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer says two officers shot during protests over a grand jury’s decision to not indict officers in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor are doing well.

Fischer says one officer was was treated and released with a leg wound. Another officer was shot in the abdomen and the mayor says he’s doing well after surgery.

Cities around the country saw protesters take to the streets following a Kentucky grand jury’s decision.

10:55 a.m.

Cities around the country saw protesters take to the streets following a Kentucky grand jury’s decision to not indict officers in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor.

Police in Seattle made 13 arrests as authorities said people smashed windows and spray-painted buildings. Seattle police say multiple officers were injured Wednesday night and one was hit in the head with a baseball bat, cracking his helmet.

In Minnesota, several hundred demonstrators rallied late Wednesday at the state Capitol in St. Paul before marching onto an interstate. Protesters denounced what they said was a criminal justice system that has failed to hold the officers accountable for Taylor’s death.

In Denver, police say a man was detained Wednesday night after driving his car through a group of people protesting. Police said no injuries were reported. The Denver Post reported that at least one person was hit near the state Capitol but she said she wasn’t badly hurt.

9:30 a.m.

Police in Portland say protesters hurled Molotov cocktails at officers in Oregon’s largest city during a demonstration over a Kentucky grand jury’s decision to not indict officers in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor.

In a statement, police say the protesters Wednesday night also threw rocks that shattered windows at a law enforcement precinct station. One officer was hit on the foot with a Molotov cocktail but a fire department medic managed to extinguish the flames.

Portland has been gripped by protests for four months since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. There were no immediate reports of injuries or arrests during the clashes Wednesday night.

9 a.m.

Crews in yellow jackets are cleaning up around downtown Louisville on Thursday morning after protesters filled the streets the night before following a grand jury’s decision to not indict officers in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor.

Video showed crews sweeping up garbage and putting it into garbage trucks.

Police say 127 people were arrested. A police statement says some were arrested after damaging businesses and more were detained after jumping on city vehicles being used as barricades. Later, protesters who refused orders to disperse were arrested for curfew and unlawful assembly violations. Police also say some businesses were looted.

7:30 a.m.

Police say they’ve made 127 arrests in Louisville, Kentucky, after protests over the grand jury’s decision to not indict officers in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor.

A police statement early Thursday says some were arrested after damaging businesses and more were detained after jumping on city vehicles being used as barricades. Later, protesters who refused orders to disperse were arrested for curfew and unlawful assembly violations.

Police also said some businesses were looted early Thursday including two City Gear stores and a pawn shop. No further information was released about a suspect accused of shooting two officers while demonstrations were ongoing.

Police said one of them underwent surgery and both are expected to survive.

1:30 a.m.

In downtown Portland, Oregon, the site of months of demonstrations against police brutality, several hundred people held a rally in the rain Wednesday night in front of the Multnomah County Justice Center, the Oregonian/Oregonlive.com reported.

A drum line played in rhythm with chants of "Whose life mattered? Breonna Taylor!"

Several Black women addressed the crowd and encouraged people to vote and continue pressing for change, the newspaper reported.

11:30 p.m.

Police say they have deployed chemical agents on Atlanta protesters demonstrating against a grand jury’s decision not to indict police officers for the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor.

Georgia State Patrol Spokesperson Franka Young has told The Associated Press the chemical agents were fired after "some unruly protesters" attempted to climb on top of a SWAT vehicle that was stationed in the city.

"They were given orders to get off of the vehicle and when they ignored the orders, the SWAT team was forced to utilize less lethal gas to deter them," Young said. Some protesters were also arrested after refusing orders to disperse from roads and to walk on sidewalks, Young said. It is not clear how many people were arrested. Young said many protesters had followed police orders.

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10:45 p.m.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and running mate Kamala Harris are calling for policing reform in response to a Kentucky grand jury’s decision not to indict police officers on criminal charges directly related to Breonna Taylor’s death.

Biden said Wednesday that while a federal investigation continues, “we do not need to wait for the final judgment of that investigation to do more to deliver justice for Breonna.” He added: “We need to start by addressing the use of excessive force, banning chokeholds, and overhauling no-knock warrants.”

Harris said on Twitter, “We must never stop speaking Breonna’s name as we work to reform our justice system, including overhauling no-knock warrants.”

Taylor was shot multiple times when officers burst into her Louisville, Kentucky, home during a drug raid gong wrong earlier this year.

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10:40 p.m.

President Donald Trump has tweeted that he is “praying for the two police officers that were shot” in Louisville, Kentucky, during the latest protests in the Breonna Taylor case.

“The Federal Government stands behind you and is ready to help,” Trump said in a tweet Wednesday night. He added that he had spoken with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshaear and was prepared to “work together” upon request.

Louisville police have said the two wounded officers were stable and expected to recover, and that a suspect was in custody.

Taylor was shot multiple times when officers who burst into the Black woman’s home in Louisville earlier this year during a drug raid gone wrong.

10:10 p.m.

Louisville police say two officers have been shot amid protests in Louisville, Kentucky, over a lack of charges in the Breonna Taylor case.

Police say a suspect is in custody.

Police Chief Robert Schroeder said one officer is alert and stable and the other officer is in surgery and stable. He said the officers had gone to an area in the city to investigate reports of shots fired when they were hit by gunfire.

The shootings came hours after a grand jury on Wednesday brought no charges directly against Louisville police for the killing of a Black woman, Breonna Taylor, in a police raid gone wrong.

Police in riot gear, some with assault weapons, staged a heavy law enforcement presence downtown late Wednesday after dispersing hundreds of demonstrators from a downtown Louisville square.

9 p.m.

Protesters dispersed by police in Louisville, Kentucky, appeared to split into small groups in that city’s downtown amid street protests in the Breonna Taylor case.

Meanwhile, police gave no immediate update Wednesday evening after saying an officer had been shot. It wasn’t clear if the shooting was linked to the protests. Police Sgt. Lamont Washington said in a news release Wednesday night that there would be an update when possible. He did not give further details or the condition of the officer.

Protesters have been marching through the streets, scuffles have broken out between police and protesters, and some demonstrators were arrested. Officers in riot gear fired flash bangs and a few small fires burned Wednesday evening in a square that’s been at the center of protests, but it had largely cleared out ahead of a nighttime curfew.

8:50 p.m.

Louisville police say an officer has been shot amid protests over a lack of direct criminal charges for officers in Breonna Taylor’s shooting death.

A spokesman for the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department issued a brief statement Wednesday night saying ”We currently have an officer shot. We’ll update when we can."

The statement did not elaborate on the condition of the officer or the circumstances of the shooting.

That development came amid a fast-changing scene in Louisville, where police had earlier fired flash bang devices to clear demonstrators from a downtown square Wednesday evening. The protesters had gathered there to protest a grand jury’s decision to not indict police officers on criminal charges directly related to Taylor’s death.

Taylor, a Black woman, was fatally shot during a police raid gone bad earlier this year.

7:20 p.m.

Police in Louisville have set off flash-bang devices to clear a square in that Kentucky city where several hundred people had gathered to protest a grand jury’s decision in the killing of Breonna Taylor. Police in riot gear then approached the square.

The protesters had rallied Wednesday evening in Jefferson Square in Louisville, where a fire was set near the courthouse and then quickly extinguished.

Louisville police called Wednesday evening’s gathering an "unlawful assembly" in an announcement over a loudspeaker and ordered demonstrators to disperse. The police threatened to make arrests if people did not comply.

Then police lined up with shields outside of the courthouse, and demonstrators threw plastic water bottles at the officers. Demonstrators began chanting "Breonna Taylor" before officers fired the flash-bang devices to disperse the crowd.

The protesters had gathered in the Kentucky city to protest a grand jury’s decision to not indict police officers on criminal charges directly related to Taylor’s death earlier this year in a drug raid gone wrong.

7 p.m.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden says he hasn’t received enough information on the grand jury’s decision in the Breonna Taylor case to comment fully, but he urged protesters to keep their demonstrations peaceful.

Hundreds have gathered in Louisville to protest the grand jury’s decision to not indict police officers on criminal charges directly related to Taylor’s death.

Speaking to reporters on a tarmac in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Wednesday evening, Biden said he hoped to find out more details soon about the Taylor case and said "my heart goes out to her mother."

"Do not sully her memory or her mother’s by engaging in any violence. It’s totally inappropriate for that to happen," Biden said. "She wouldn’t want it, nor would her mother, so I hope they do that."

6 p.m.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says he has authorized a “limited” deployment of the National Guard as hundreds of demonstrators have gathered to protest a grand jury’s decision to not indict police officers on criminal charges directly related to Breonna Taylor’s death.

The Democratic governor said Wednesday at a news conference that the deployment is “based on very specific operations,” and is under the sole command of the National Guard.

Beshear said the National Guard would protect “critical infrastructure,” including hospitals.

Meanwhile, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said the indictment of one of the officers on a charge of wanton endangerment “confirmed our decision to terminate” him from the Louisville Metro Police Department.

Fischer said the case is “far from over” and the FBI is continuing its probe into the matter.

Also, LMPD is conducting a Professional Standards Unit investigation to determine if any policies and procedures were violated by officers involved in the case.

In urging calm, Fischer said: “Let’s turn to each other, not on each other.”

5:45 p.m.

Some protesters in Louisville have been ordered by police to disperse hours after officials announced a grand jury’s decision to not indict police officers on criminal charges directly related to Breonna Taylor’s death.

Police on Wednesday afternoon declared a gathering on a street corner outside downtown to be "unlawful" and threatened to use chemical agents and make arrests if people did not leave.

The order was directed at a group of protesters that broke off from other demonstrators who had gathered downtown.

Maj. Stephen Martin of the Kentucky National Guard issued the following statement Wednesday:

"This morning the Governor authorized the deployment of a portion of the Kentucky National Guard to Louisville. We will be engaged in limited and specific missions, protecting critical infrastructure. Our Guard leadership have been directed to retain command and control at all times while working with the Louisville Metro Police Department."

Curfew in the Kentucky city is set for 9 p.m.