Louisville mayor calls for release of body camera video after police officer kills man in Portland neighborhood

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said he'll encourage Kentucky State Police (KSP) to release body camera video "as soon as possible," after a police officer shot and killed a man Monday in the Portland neighborhood.

Just after 1:30 p.m. near the intersection of Griffiths Avenue and North 22nd Street, Louisville Metro Police said a man in his 20s — identified Monday by family as Mark Jaggers Jr. — tried to carjack two undercover officers with LMPD's Fugitive Unit who were inside a vehicle attempting to apprehend a suspect in an unrelated investigation.

According to Interim Chief Jackie Gwinn-Villaroel, the man had a gun and attempted to carjack the officers. One of the officers — a 10-year veteran of the department — shot the man.

"The suspect attempted to carjack the officers with a gun," Gwinn-Villaroel said Monday afternoon. "One of the officers shot the suspect with his service weapon. Officers immediately rendered aid and attempted to preform lifesaving measures on the individual. The individual was transported to UofL, where he was pronounced deceased."

Greenberg said Tuesday that he wants the public to have answers soon and believes transparency is necessary in these cases. His administration inherited a policy in which KSP takes over investigations into officer-involved shootings.

"That policy is under review, but no final decisions have been made," Greenberg said Tuesday.

LMPD previously released body camera footage, names of officers involved, photos and employment files of officers within 24 hours of a police shooting. That slowed after LMPD officers killed Breonna Taylor as the city decided to turn police shooting investigations over to KSP. In July 2020, former Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced that KSP would conduct independent investigations into LMPD shootings in an effort to improve public trust.

"In this situation, as I understand the facts, the officer acted appropriately, heroically, bravely and rapidly in response to someone trying to carjack his car while he was in the line of duty seeking to get a fugitive that was wanted for other shooting crimes in our city," Greenberg said Tuesday.

Greenberg said any time there is a loss of life, it's a tragedy.

"It is unfortunate that a life was lost," he said. "I think that's also why we encourage people over and over and over again that using guns for the wrong reasons does not end well."

In Monday's case, the man's father, Mark Jaggers Sr., pushed back on police's version of events. Jaggers said his son wasn't trying to carjack anyone and that he thought the car was dumped off near their Portland home and wanted to take it for a joyride. When he opened the door, two undercover officers were inside.