1 Dead After Louisville Police, National Guard ‘Returned Fire’ On Crowd

One man was killed after police and National Guard soldiers in Louisville, Kentucky, “returned fire” on a crowd they were trying to disperse amid another night of nationwide anti-racism protests, the police chief said.

Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement Monday that he has authorized the Kentucky State Police to “independently investigate” the shooting that killed the man, whose identity wasn’t released.

Police say officers and National Guard soldiers were dispatched to Dino’s Food Mart in the Russell neighborhood of Louisville around 12:15 a.m. Monday to clear a large crowd in the parking lot.

“Officers and soldiers began to clear the lot and at some point were shot at,” Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad said during a press briefing. “Both LMPD and National Guard members returned fire. We have one man dead at the scene.”

It’s unclear whether the man fired at the authorities.

Several persons of interest are being interviewed by police, Conrad said. Authorities are collecting video of the incident and intended to release more information later Monday, he added.

“It has been a very difficult four days for our city,” Conrad said. “Our officers are working very hard to keep people safe and protect property. While doing that, we’ve had officers shot at and assaulted. I think it’s very, very clear that many people do not trust the police. That is an issue that we’re going to have to work and work through for a long time.”

Seven people were shot in Louisville on Thursday evening during a protest demanding justice for Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman who was fatally shot and killed by police during a raid on her apartment in March.

All of the victims were recovering, Mayor Greg Fischer said at a news conference Friday. The shooters have not yet been publicly identified. Police said officers did not fire any shots during Thursday’s incident.

Protests have erupted across the country since George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis on May 25. Floyd, who was unarmed, died after three police officers held him down, including one who knelt on his neck, and ignored his repeated statements that he couldn’t breathe.