For putting two bullets into an innocent Breonna Taylor, a cop was not fired or even arrested and was instead hired in a neighboring county.
Carrol County, KY — Yet another appalling example of the lack of accountability for police officers, even when their actions lead to the death of innocent civilians like Breonna Taylor, is unfolding in Kentucky. Former Louisville police officer Myles Cosgrove has been rehired as a law enforcement officer in a nearby county. This disturbing turn of events demonstrates the clear double standards in place for those who serve in the police force, as we have previously discussed in numerous articles covering the tragic case of Breonna Taylor here at the Free Thought Project.
According to local media outlets, the Carroll County Sheriff's Office, located just an hour northeast of Louisville, recently hired Cosgrove. Chief Deputy Rob Miller claims that Cosgrove, who has nearly two decades of experience in the police force, was hired to help reduce the flow of drugs and property crimes in the area. Despite the scrutiny and outrage in both Louisville and Carroll County, the sheriff's office has declined to comment further on the matter.
Coincidentally, Breonna was executed while Cosgrove was doing the exact same thing in Louisville.
Chanelle Helm, the lead organizer of Black Lives Matter Louisville, expressed her frustration with the decision, stating, "The way in which he can go and get a job in the same field should be illegal. For a typical citizen, we aren't able to re-enter certain fields if we're fired from them. That carries with you." Cosgrove's reinstatement in law enforcement is a glaring reminder of the impunity often granted to those in uniform.
As we previously reported, Cosgrove was one of seven officers involved in the deadly raid inside Taylor's apartment. The police, who were serving a no-knock search warrant, burst into the apartment in the middle of the night, startling Taylor and her boyfriend. Believing the officers to be intruders, Taylor's boyfriend fired a single shot at them. The officers returned fire with 32 shots, half of which were fired by Cosgrove. Two of his rounds struck Taylor, ultimately causing her death.
In January 2021, the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) fired Cosgrove for violating department procedures on the use of deadly force and not wearing a body camera during the raid. In his termination letter, interim LMPD Chief Yvette Gentry wrote, "The shots you fired went in three different directions, indicating you did not verify a threat or have target acquisition." Gentry added, "In other words, the evidence shows that you fired wildly at unidentified subjects or targets located within the apartment."
Despite these egregious violations, Cosgrove has not faced any criminal charges in connection to Taylor's killing. Furthermore, in 2022, the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council voted to allow him to keep his police certification, making him eligible to work for other police departments in the state.
Cosgrove's rehiring is not an isolated incident. The phenomenon of "gypsy cops," or officers who are removed from a police department due to misconduct only to be hired elsewhere, has been an issue in the U.S. for decades. This is partly due to a lack of national coordination to track officers with a history of misconduct.
Breonna Taylor's death fueled widespread protests across the country in 2020 and led to Louisville's city council unanimously voting to ban no-knock warrants. However, it seems that justice for Taylor remains elusive, as the officer responsible for her death continues to avoid accountability and even manages to find employment in the very field he so egregiously violated.
As we continue to cover the ongoing struggle for police accountability, it is essential to remember cases like Breonna Taylor's and to hold those responsible for her untimely death to account. The fight for justice is far from over, and it is only through relentless scrutiny and pressure that change can be achieved.