This week has certainly gathered a lot of heat and a lot of tension as the Louisville Metro Police Department is preparing for a possible announcement this week about whether criminal charges will be brought against the white officers who shot and killed Breonna Taylor,
A Black medical worker whose death in March was one of several police killings that drove the “Black Lives Matter” demonstrations across the country this summer.
Robert Schroeder, the city’s interim police chief, indicated on Tuesday that “rumors” made him believe that it might. He said the police were placing barricades around downtown this week to reduce access to the area in case the announcement prompts protests , Mr. Schroeder also told police officers that he would not approve any requests for time off.
Schroeder declared a “state of emergency for the Louisville Metro Police Department” in a memo sent to all personnel Monday.
“To ensure we have the appropriate level of staffing to provide for public safety services and our policing functions, effective immediately the LMPD will operate under the emergency staffing and reporting guidelines as outlined in the Standard Operating Procedures,
Emergency Response Plan, and collective bargaining agreements until further notice,” Schroeder wrote, according to a copy of the internal memo obtained by WDRB.
Mayor Greg Fischer tweeted Tuesday that he also did not know when Cameron would make the announcement or what it would entail.
“Our goal with these steps is ensuring space and opportunity for potential protesters to gather and express their First Amendment rights, & to prepare for any eventuality to keep everyone safe,” Fischer said.
