LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- In two separate situations this week, a Louisville Metro Police officer shot a suspect. And several questions still remain.
Per policy, Kentucky State Police now handles investigations when an LMPD officer pulls the trigger. The policy was instituted in the wake of the fatal shootings of Breonna Taylor and David McAtee by law enforcement in Louisville.
"It's a balancing act, because there's an issue with the creditability and the legitimacy issue with LMPD and the community, which is why KSP was brought in to help do those investigations," Metro Council President David James said. "But on the other hand, having KSP do those investigations limits the transparency."
In an interview with WDRB News on Friday, Mayor Greg Fischer said the public's "low levels of trust" in past investigations led to LMPD's partnership with KSP. He said he's "not satisfied" with the way it's being handled now and wants to look at how it can be improved. However, in defense of LMPD providing little to no information on scene in recent cases, Fischer said the media "sensationalize things" and "feels like something's been taken away from them."
"What I'd like is maximum transparency and maximum independence. That's the goal," Fischer said. "If we can't achieve both of those, what's really important is making sure that the community trusts the investigative process when there's an officer-involved shooting — or any shooting right now — and that's why we went the KSP route."
Fischer wouldn't speak to a long-term commitment to KSP, only adding that there are things he likes and dislikes right now about the relationship.
James said previously in these situations, LMPD would typically release body camera footage within 24 hours. Last November, it took KSP around one week to release body camera footage after an LMPD officer shot a man in the Portland neighborhood.
The first shooting this week where an LMPD officer pulled the trigger began as a chase and ended near the Bashford Manor Walmart. The second happened in the Beechmont neighborhood.
On both scenes, LMPD was able to release preliminary details of what led up to each shooting but could not comment on the suspects' or officers' identities. There's also no updates on the suspects' conditions.
"LMPD doesn't have the information that KSP has so they can't really talk about what did or did not take place if they don't know," James said. "Chief (Erika) Shields probably has some basic information but she doesn't have everything."
As James pointed out, this agreement with KSP was made before Shields began her role here in Louisville. James said it will be important to see what role KSP has in working with the Civilian Review and Accountability Board the city is working to create.
"We've got the civilian review board that'll be in place soon and so finding out how KSP will or will not work with the civilian review board is going to be very important going forward," James said.
For the two shootings this week, it's unclear when more details will be released.
"There is no timeline for any additional information being released regarding either of the officer involved shootings," KSP said in an email to WDRB News.
James said he believes different investigations will require different amounts of time.
"Finding out what did or did not happen is very important for the police department and for the community," he said. "Some investigations are very clear and straight forward. Some are very complicated."
In an email to WDRB News on Friday afternoon, KSP said it retains sole discretion to investigate any officer-involved shooting incident involving other agencies.
"The purpose of the investigation is to determine whether any criminal laws have been violated that resulted in death or injury to the person, arrestee or detainee," KSP said.
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