Last month, Louisville restaurant owner David McAtee was shot and killed during a confrontation with the National Guard and police who were attempting to enforce a curfew amid ongoing protests. An investigation by state officials has now revealed that he was shot by a member of the National Guard.
On Tuesday, Kentucky Cabinet Secretary J. Michael Brown revealed that shrapnel found inside of McAtee’s body matched the green bullets from rifles carried by the National Guard.
Investigators have been searching for answers as to who fired the fatal shot after police officers at the scene, Katie Crews and Austin Allen, had their body cameras turned off during the incident.
Footage of the May 31st incident appeared to show McAtee firing a weapon from the door of his restaurant while officers shot projectiles. Video from a different camera outside the building shows a beverage container on a table outside the door exploding and falling to the ground moments before smoke emerges from inside the building where McAtee was seen standing.
Unfortunately, while two guard personnel were in the vicinity where shell casings were found, the remnants recovered from McAtee’s body were too twisted to confirm which guardsmen weapon it was fired from.
Brown also made the shocking revelation that evidence suggests McAtee fired the first shot, claiming that two shell casings found at the scene belonged to a gun located inside of McAtee’s business. Brown claims that McAtee fired once before pausing and firing a second round. That is when, allegedly, National Guardsmen returned fire, which Brown said was “part of the engagement and what any law enforcement would do in that case.” Investigators also found shell casings from shots fired by Louisville police, and the findings excluded those officers from firing the fatal shot.
On Monday, Steve Romines, a lawyer for McAtee’s family, said that investigators should release all video evidence in the case. He is demanding that Louisville officials and police accept responsibility and apologize for violating use of force policies the night of the shooting. McAtee’s niece was also hit multiple times with pepper balls while she stood at the door of his restaurant.
Louisville police are conducting their own investigation of the shooting. As part of its own ongoing investigation, state police will review available video, Brown confirmed.
