The U.S. Justice Department on Friday moved to drop a criminal case against two former Louisville Police Department officers who had been charged in connection with a search-warrant affidavit that led colleagues to the March 2020 police operation in which Breonna Taylor was killed.
In a court filing, federal prosecutors said they no longer wished to pursue the indictment after conducting an internal review that was prompted by a judicial decision to twice reduce the most serious count from a felony to a misdemeanor. Any dismissal requested by the Justice Department must be approved by a judge.
Who is charged and what the indictment says
The two former officers named in the indictment are Joshua Jaynes, a former detective, and Kyle Meany, a former sergeant. They were accused of violating Taylor’s civil rights by submitting false and misleading statements in an affidavit used to obtain a search warrant for Taylor’s residence.
The indictment alleged the affidavit was filed even though Jaynes and Meany knew they lacked legal justification for the search. Both men pleaded not guilty. Neither Jaynes nor Meany was among the officers who executed the search at Taylor’s apartment.
Context of the March 2020 raid
Taylor, a Black medical worker, was killed during a March 2020 police operation described in court records as a botched raid that followed an investigation into a man she had previously dated. Officers executed a no-knock warrant at her home. Taylor’s boyfriend, who was carrying a legally owned firearm, fired at officers, and police returned fire, discharging 22 rounds into the apartment. Authorities reported that no drugs were found inside the residence and that Taylor was unarmed.
Legal and political developments tied to the case
The Justice Department’s move to seek dismissal is the latest action by the administration of Republican President Donald Trump to reverse or change federal civil rights and police-misconduct efforts that were initiated during the term of Democratic President Joe Biden. Officials previously intervened in a separate federal civil rights prosecution related to Taylor’s killing by asking for a one-day prison term for a former Louisville officer convicted of firing into the apartment - despite the officer’s shots not striking Taylor. A judge later sentenced that former officer to 33 months in prison.
Separately, the Trump administration rescinded a Justice Department finding that had identified widespread civil rights violations by the Louisville police, a probe that had been launched in the wake of Taylor’s death. A federal judge granted the Trump Justice Department’s request to withdraw from a proposed settlement agreement that had been negotiated under the prior administration.
Federal civil rights prosecutors have been told there will be a higher legal standard to bring cases involving law enforcement use of force under the current administration.
Reactions and next steps
Michael Denbow, an attorney for Meany, issued a statement saying: "Kyle is incredibly grateful for today’s filing. He is looking forward to putting this matter behind him and moving forward with his life." Attorneys for Jaynes did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
As the Justice Department seeks dismissal, a judge will need to consider and rule on the request before the prosecution can be officially terminated. The internal review by federal prosecutors, and the prior judicial decisions that reduced charges, were pivotal to the Department’s determination to withdraw the case.
Note: Where the original matter contains limited information about ongoing reviews and institutional decisions, this article reflects only the details provided in the court filing and public statements cited in the filing.