A recording of the 911 call Kenneth Walker made shortly after his girlfriend Breonna Taylor was shot lines up with his explanation for firing a gun after police stormed their apartment.
Taylor, an EMT, died in March after she was shot eight times by Louisville Metro Police officers during a botched drug raid. Walker was arrested for attempted murder after he shot a cop in the leg during the raid. The charges were dropped on May 22.
Walker told investigators he did not know the police were in the apartment when he fired the shot. The police claim they identified themselves before they used a battering ram to enter the apartment, but Walker and other witnesses say they didn’t hear the cops say anything.
The recording of the 911 call, which was released Thursday by an attorney for Taylor’s family, appears to corroborate Walker’s story.
“I don’t know what happened,” a distraught Walker says. “Somebody kicked in the door and shot my girlfriend.”
The dispatcher asked where Taylor had been shot, but Walker said he did not know. She also asked if Taylor was alert and able to talk. Walker called Taylor’s name several times, but she never responded. Officials said Walker made the call when the invading cops retreated following the exchange of gunfire.
“Listening to that call is one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do as an attorney and as a person,” said Sam Aguiar, an attorney representing Taylor’s family. Aguiar gave the audio to The Courier-Journal. “The call appears to vindicate Kenneth Walker and what he’s been saying all along. He had no idea that police were in the home. His primary concern was the love of his life.”
Taylor’s death is getting renewed attention as the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd grab headlines. No one has been charged in connection with Taylor’s death, a major point of contention for demonstrators.
Seven people were shot after protests erupted in Louisville on Thursday night. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said Friday none of the shots came from police. Tamika Palmer, Taylor’s mother, pleaded for peace in statement read by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on CNN Friday.
“Breonna devoted her own life to saving other lives, to helping others, to making people smile, and to bringing people together,” Palmer said. “The last thing she’d want right now is any more violence. Changes are being made, but it’s not enough. We will not stop until there is truth, justice and accountability. Breonna’s legacy will not be forgotten.”
