A group of armed, white militia were spotted patrolling the streets of Louisville, Kentucky after the attorney general announced the grand jury’s decision in the Breonna Taylor case.
Footage surfaced of individuals dressed in khaki pants, helmets and bulletproof vests with rifles in hand shortly after Attorney General Daniel Cameron indicted only one of the officers involved in the late EMT’s death.
Per a Fox affiliate, the group of men refused to name themselves, but were later identified as members of the National Patriotic Defense Team, a right-wing militant group based in Kentucky.
Another right-wing militia group was reportedly gathering a few blocks away.
The possible presence of armed white militia in Kentucky is eeringly similar to the groups recently seen amid the demonstrations that followed Jacob Blake’s brutal shooting.
At one of the protests, Kenosha officers reportedly handed white militia men water bottles and told them they “appreciate them” for being there. Kyle Rittenhouse also made headlines after he shot at a group of protesters, killing two individuals and injuring a third.
Earlier today (Sept. 23), former detective Brett Hankinson was charged with three counts of wanton endangerment. Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove walked away with no charges as Attorney General Daniel Cameron said their shootings were justified.
Ahead of the protests, the City of Louisville restricted access to downtown areas, especially in areas that have been a frequent sites for protests.
“We recognize that this is an inconvenience and will cause difficulty for those that live, work and have business downtown and we apologize for this inconvenience. However, public safety is our number one priority and it would be irresponsible if we did not take preemptive action to preserve it,” the police department said at the time.
The National Guard was also spotted arriving in Louisville after the grand jury’s upsetting decision.
Look below for videos of the armed white militia spotted in Louisville.