The Louisville Metro Council has passed a resolution to express their lack of confidence in Mayor Greg Fischer after the shooting death of Breonna Taylor and his handling of the unrest that followed.
Rather than simply request his resignation, the “no confidence” legislation provides Fischer with steps he can take that will “restore trust between the residents of Louisville Metro and its government.” It was passed 22-4 after three hours of debate, according to the Courier Journal.
Among the list of recommendations were calls for policies addressing social and racial equity, like an increase to affordable housing as well as a full review of the police department before the end of the year.
Council members also requested transparency from their mayor, which would include releasing the entire investigation into Taylor’s death upon completion. The 26-year-old EMT was gunned down by Louisville police officers serving a “no-knock” search warrant the night of March 13.
Taylor and her boyfriend had already gone to bed for the night when authorities busted down their door to search for evidence in connection with a narcotics investigation centered some 10 miles away.
Officer Brett Hankison “blindly” fired 10 rounds into the apartment during the ensuing chaos, Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Robert Schroeder said in a letter informing Hankison of his firing in June.
The other two officers involved have since been placed on leave, though no charges have been brought in Taylor’s death.
Earlier this week, the city of Louisville announced it would pay a record $12 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family. It is the largest ever paid by the Kentucky city in an officer-involved shooting case and also included a series of police reforms.
The “no-confidence” resolution also said actions would be taken if Fischer fails to advance the agenda, but some council members said it did not do enough to hold the mayor accountable.
In a video response to the council vote, Fischer acknowledged that he made a few missteps in recent months.
“With the benefit of hindsight, I see that, given the choice of two difficult paths, I’ve sometimes taken the wrong one,” Fischer said.
“I sometimes failed to recognize quickly enough where changes needed to be made. And tonight’s vote makes clear I have not fostered a productive relationship with all of council that is necessary to avoid silos and distractions. I apologize for this because what’s also clear is this: we have enormous challenges ahead and to move forward, we need to pull together.”
