LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Tuesday marked four years since protests broke out across Louisville following the police killing of Breonna Taylor.
A group of protesters returned to Jefferson Square Park in downtown Louisville Tuesday evening. The park served as the heart of the city's social justice movement for months as people marched through the streets saying Taylor's name and calling for justice in her death.
As the group reflected at the site on all that's happened since the protests began, they said they don't feel justice has been served.
"Justice for me is accountability, accepting 'Hey, we messed up in whatever capacity,'" Jamel Lewis said.
May 28, 2020, saw hundreds of people, along with violence and destruction, downtown. Seven people in the crowd were shot and downtown buildings were damaged.
IMAGES | Large crowds in downtown Louisville for protesters demanding justice for Breonna Taylor
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March and recent events involving police across the country.Â
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March and recent events involving police across the country.Â
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March and recent events involving police across the country.Â
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March and recent events involving police across the country.Â
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March and recent events involving police across the country.Â
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March and recent events involving police across the country.Â
Hundreds of people gathered Thursday, May 28, in downtown Louisville to protest the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March and recent events involving police across the country. (WDRB Photo/Travis Ragsdale)
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March and recent events involving police across the country.Â
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest recent events involving police across the U.S. and the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March.
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest recent events involving police across the U.S. and the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March.
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest recent events involving police across the U.S. and the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March.
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest recent events involving police across the U.S. and the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March.
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March and recent events involving police across the country.
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest recent events involving police across the U.S. and the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March.Â
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest recent events involving police across the U.S. and the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March.
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest recent events involving police across the U.S. and the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March.
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest recent events involving police across the U.S. and the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March. (Hayden Ristevski/WDRB Photo)
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest recent events involving police across the U.S. and the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March. (Hayden Ristevski/WDRB Photo)
LMPD has put officers at several street corners to block traffic. It appears police are making a several block perimeter in each direction. (WDRB Photo/Rod Hissong)
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest recent events involving police across the U.S. and the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March. (Dalton Rinehart/WDRB Photo)
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest recent events involving police across the U.S. and the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March. (Dalton Rinehart/WDRB Photo)
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest recent events involving police across the U.S. and the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March. (Dalton Rinehart/WDRB Photo)
Hundreds of people have gathered Thursday evening in downtown Louisville to protest recent events involving police across the U.S. and the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in March. (Dalton Rinehart/WDRB Photo)
Those who returned to Jefferson Square Park on Tuesday described the night as chaos. Anger spilled into the streets after Louisville Metro Police officers killed Taylor in a raid at her Louisville apartment in March 2020.
When police knocked down the door, Taylor's boyfriend — Kenneth Walker — fired a single shot thinking they were being robbed. The shot hit officer John Mattingly, and police returned fire in a hail of bullets, killing Taylor.
The city of Louisville later settled a wrongful death lawsuit with Taylor's family for $12 million. Her death sparked a sweeping investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice into LMPD, uncovering a pattern of unlawful policing, including excessive force and racism, placing the department under a Consent Decree for mandated police reform.
The city and the police department are still negotiating the terms of a consent decree with the federal government on police reforms.
"Justice for me looks like a consent decree that does actually hold a police department accountable," said Maxwell Mitchell. "In my opinion, justice also means getting a citizen review board and an Office of Inspector General with enough strength that, when a citizen does file a complaint against LMPD, that it does lead to some stronger justice."
As far as the officers involved in the raid on Taylor's apartment, four officers face federal charges in legal cases that are still playing out in court. Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany face charges related to lying on the warrant. Kelly Goodlet has pleaded guilty. Brett Hankison's charges stem from firing shots during the raid, but a judge declared a mistrial in Hankison's case late last year. Prosecutors plan to retry his case, which is set to start in October. Myles Cosgrove was fired from LMPD for violating the department's use of force policy when he fatally shot Taylor for failing to use a body camera.
Related Stories:
- Ky. Court of Appeals upholds termination of Louisville detective who fired fatal shot in Breonna Taylor raid
- DOJ answers questions about consent decree as negotiations continue with Louisville leaders, police
- LMPD reveals reforms being made after Department of Justice mandated changes
- 'I want to be hopeful' | Residents push for real change as LMPD, DOJ consent decree negotiations continue
- Jamarcus Glover, the target of the Breonna Taylor raid, sentenced to 7 years in prison
- Call for change | Louisville activists reflect on death of Breonna Taylor 4 years later
- 'Breonna Taylor Act' for US ban on no-knock warrants reintroduced on Capitol Hill
- Process to reverse bad policing practices in Louisville began 1 year ago with release of DOJ report
- City of Louisville, LMPD officials begin negotiations with DOJ for police reforms
- Federal prosecutors say they will retry Brett Hankison on charges stemming from Breonna Taylor raid
- Ky. Court of Appeals upholds firing of Louisville detective who lied on Breonna Taylor search warrant
- Mistrial declared in federal trial of Brett Hankison on charges from Breonna Taylor raid
- Hankison Trial | Breonna Taylor's boyfriend testifies it felt like 'a war' the night of the raid
- TIMELINE | Step-by-step look at Breonna Taylor case, from her death to 4 officers facing federal charges
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