Release of grand jury recordings in Breonna Taylor case delayed to Friday

A judge on Wednesday delayed the release of recordings of grand jury proceedings in Breonna Taylor’s case until Friday.

Judge Ann Bailey Smith granted a delay in order for prosecutors to edit out witnesses’ name and personal information, The Associated Press reported. 

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R) said Monday he planned to release the recordings Wednesday in compliance with a judge’s order, despite concerns it could affect the ongoing investigation and have other “unintended consequences.” 

The expected release of the recordings comes after the grand jury decided earlier this month not to charge any of the police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Taylor in her Louisville, Ky., home. Instead, one officer, Brett Hankison, was charged for endangering Taylor’s neighbor after shooting into a neighboring home. 

Hankison on Monday pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on three counts of wanton endangerment.

Taylor, a 26-year-old Black EMT, was shot and killed in March by officers executing a no-knock warrant for a drug case involving her ex-boyfriend. 

The grand jury’s decision not to charge officers in relation to Taylor’s case led to protests in Louisville and around the country demanding accountability for the officers. Cameron faced pressure to release the grand jury recordings from lawyer’s for Taylor’s family, an anonymous grand juror and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D). 

Cameron has said the two officers who fired their guns were justified because Taylor’s boyfriend — who has said he thought the officers were intruders — fired at them first. 

Hankison was fired from the force. Officers Jonathan Mattingly, who was shot in the leg, and Myles Cosgrove, who Camera said appeared to have fired that fatal shot at Taylor, remain on the force.