A former Louisville detective involved with the botched no-knock warrant that resulted in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor is expected to plead guilty to conspiracy. According to CNN, Kelly Goodlett is expected to enter her plea during an Aug. 22 court hearing.
Goodlett is facing federal charges that include conspiracy for allegedly falsifying documents to help cover up any wrongdoing in the raid. “The federal charges announced today allege that members of a Police Investigations Unit falsified the affidavit used to obtain the search warrant of Ms. Taylor’s home and that this act violated federal civil rights laws, and that those violations resulted in Ms. Taylor’s death,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland during last week’s press conference (Aug. 4).
Former detective Joshua Jaynes, former sergeant Kyle Meany, and ex-officer Brett Hankison are also charged alongside Goodlett. Hankinson previously stood trial after being charged with wanton endangerment in the first degree. He was found not guilty on March 3.
Two years ago (2020), Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, was at the center of a drug investigation. Officers claimed that they believed Walker was using his girlfriend’s apartment to receive packages. “Among other things, the affidavit falsely claimed that officers had verified that the target of the alleged drug trafficking operation had received packages at Ms. Taylor’s address. In fact, defendants Jaynes and Goodlett knew that was not true,” said Garland. He further alleged that the officers knew executing the warrant would create “a dangerous situation for anyone who happened to be in Ms. Taylor’s home.”
On the night of March 13, officers forced entry into the apartment. Walker mistook the ordeal as a home intrusion and fired a weapon at officers. In return, the officers riddled the apartment with rounds of bullets. Taylor, 26, was fatally wounded. The former Louisville EMT’s death, coupled with George Floyd and others, sparked countless protests across the country.