Louisville Mayor Fires Police Chief Over Fatal Shooting of David McAtee
Published Date: 6/2/2020
Source: Bloomberg QuickTake News
Kentucky's governor on Monday called for the release of police video from a deadly shooting in Louisville that took place while police officers and National Guard soldiers were enforcing a curfew amid waves of protests in the city over a previous police shooting. The city's police chief said the man was killed early Monday while police officers and National Guard soldiers returned fire after someone in a large group fired at them first. A witness said the group had nothing to do with the protests, and was shocked to see soldiers arrive to disrupt their gathering. Gov. Andy Beshear said there's significant camera footage, body camera and otherwise" from the shooting and pressed Louisville police to release the video as soon as possible. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer identified the shooting victim as David McAtee. Media reports identified him as the owner of a barbecue business next to the parking lot where the shooting occurred. Fischer, who spoke with McAtee's mother, said on social media that he's committed to "getting all the answers out as quickly as possible" about the shooting. Hours after the shooting, WDRB-TV streamed video of dozens of people gathered across the street. Some held signs and many chanted loudly "hands up" and "I can't breathe" toward officers investigating. The crowd mostly stayed on the sidewalk and out of the roadway as officers lined up nearby. Louisville has been hit by several nights of protests. The governor authorized state police to independently investigate or oversee the probe into the shooting, Protesters have been demanding justice for Breonna Taylor, a black woman killed in her home in Louisville in March. The 26-year-old EMT was shot eight times by narcotics detectives who knocked down her front door as they attempted to enforce a search warrant. No drugs were found in the home. Appearing with the governor on Monday, Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, made an emotional plea for peace while demanding justice for her daughter. "This is so much bigger than her," Palmer said. "But we can't get justice with violence. It doesn't make sense. It doesn't help. It doesn't help her. It doesn't help us. It doesn't help the world we live in. We can't fight violence with violence." Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm QUICKTAKE ON SOCIAL: Follow QuickTake on Twitter: twitter.com/quicktake Like QuickTake on Facebook: facebook.com/quicktake Follow QuickTake on Instagram: instagram.com/quicktake Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/2FJ0oQZ Email us at [email protected] QuickTake by Bloomberg is a global news network delivering up-to-the-minute analysis on the biggest news, trends and ideas for a new generation of leaders.