The law enforcement officer who fired the bullet that led to the death of Breonna Taylor in March 2020 has returned to work in the police force.
According to Chief Deputy Rob Miller, Myles Cosgrove, who was dismissed from the Louisville Metro Police Department in January 2021, has been recruited by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. During the raid on Taylor’s apartment on March 13, 2020, Cosgrove was among three officers who discharged their firearms. Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were sleeping when the officers from LMPD attempted to execute a search warrant as part of a drug-related investigation. In response to the perceived intrusion, Walker fired a single shot that struck an officer. The officers responded by firing back, and Cosgrove was responsible for the shot that proved fatal.
In January 2021, Cosgrove was terminated from his position for breaching use-of-force protocols and neglecting to wear a body camera during the raid. Although he filed a lawsuit contesting his dismissal, a judge ruled earlier this year in favor of the department’s decision.
Cosgrove has not been subjected to any criminal charges regarding the shooting, despite being dismissed from his job. According to Attorney General Cameron’s inquiry, Cosgrove’s response of returning gunfire was deemed reasonable after he and the other officers were targeted by Walker’s bullets.
Nevertheless, Carroll County’s Chief Deputy Miller stated that the sheriff’s office conducted a background investigation on Cosgrove, which he successfully cleared. Furthermore, he affirmed that the state and federal investigations did not lead to any allegations against Cosgrove, who boasts almost twenty years of police service.
