Tamika Palmer, Breonna Taylor’s mother, became upset and sobbed on “CNN This Morning” in response to the hiring of one of the former Louisville Metro Police officers implicated in her daughter’s March 2020 murder.
Myles Cosgrove recently returned to law enforcement after being employed as a deputy by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, as previously reported by How Africa. The Louisville Metro Police Department dismissed Cosgrove in January 2021 after he shot six rounds into Taylor’s residence during the tragic bungled raid.
His discharge occurred after the agency found he violated its use-of-force regulations by failing to deploy a body camera during the home raid. Investigators also believe Cosgrove fired the bullet that killed Taylor, adding that he fired 16 shots into Breonna’s apartment during the bungled raid.
In response to Cosgrove’s return to law enforcement, Palmer stated that the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office had not contacted her about the hire, and she was “just disappointed in them.”
“I can’t understand why you would want this type of person to work in your department. You know, I’m scared for the people of Carroll County,” Palmer said.
A video of Cosgrove’s attorney, Scott Miller, discussing his client’s return to law enforcement was shown during the interview. Miller stated that, while he and his client did not want “anything to take away or diminish the value of the tragedy that occurred to Breonna Taylor and her family,” Cosgrove “definitely has had a difficult road to travel in getting back to trying to figure out a way to support his family in the future.”
Palmer broke down in tears after that interview was played. “To say he’s had a hard road is insane to me. Breonna is not even here,” an emotional Palmer said. Her lawyer, Lonita Baker, also said Miller’s comments “definitely tried to eliminate Myles’ own responsibility for Breonna’s murder.”
“We’re talking about a man in his own words who could not see, who could not hear, who completely lost any type of sensory and fired 16 rounds into Breonna’s home without a target,” Baker continued. “He was fired for violating police protocol and for him not to lose his certification, and to be able to police in another city is completely asinine.”
“The people of Carroll County should be alarmed. They are in danger because this is a man, when stress hit him, he lost all of his sensories. And that’s using his words,” the attorney added. “Not words that we’re saying about him, that was in his own statement. He said he couldn’t hear, he couldn’t see. He blanked out, and in response to blanking out, he fired 16 rounds. That’s reckless behavior.”
Following his hiring, Carroll County Chief Deputy Robert Miller stated that a state grand jury had exonerated Cosgrove of any wrongdoing in the deadly home raid. According to The Associated Press, his state peace officer certification was not withdrawn by the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council in November, which means he could still work as a law enforcement officer in the state.