The Louisville Metro Police Merit Board will sit and review the case of the former Louisville Metro Police detective who was terminated from his position after the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor. The officer seeks to be reinstated to his original job.
Myles Cosgrove was fired from his job in January for failing to "properly identify a target" before shooting 16 rounds into Taylor's apartment on March 13, 2020.
Cosgrove will appear before the Louisville Metro Police Merit Board at 9 a.m. Nov 9–10 and Dec. 13–15, and the board will determine whether or not to uphold his discharge from the police department.
The FBI found that Cosgrove fired the fatal shot that killed Taylor, 26, striking her pulmonary artery. Former interim Chief Yvette Gentry detailed in a letter the grounds for terminating Cosgrove, stating he discharged his weapon in the apartment without having a clear and direct target.
"The shots you fired went in three distinctly different directions, demonstrating that you did not identify a specific target. Rather, you fired in a manner consistent with suppressive fire, which is in direct contradiction to our training, values, and policy," Gentry wrote in a letter detailing her reasons for firing Cosgrove.
Cosgrove faces an arduous battle — since 2015, eight officers, including a detective involved in the Taylor case, have appealed their terminations, and all of them have lost. No officers were criminally charged for killing Taylor.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron agreed with the officers that it was reasonable they returned fire because Taylor's boyfriend Kenneth Walker shot at the officers first. Walker claimed he thought the officers were intruders, and criminal charges against Walker were dropped in March.
Cosgrove chastised LMPD leadership in a staff email, accusing them of succumbing to "political pressures."
"Think about that the next time you put on the uniform and badge," Cosgrove wrote. "For those of you still doing real police work, it's just a matter of time till you (too) will be a sacrificial lamb. I plead with you, do nothing."
In September, the city of Louisville awarded Taylor's family a $12 million settlement, the largest amount the city has paid out in regard to a police misconduct case. The settlement included certain assurances, like steps for police reform and guidance on proper conduct for no-knock warrants.
If the board votes that Cosgrove's dismissal was unjust, then he would be considered for a different penalty such as suspension or demotion. However, if the board sustains the decision, Cosgrove could appeal and have his case reviewed by the circuit court.
