The U.S. Department of Justice has filed new charges against former Louisville police officers Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany in connection with the fatal 2020 raid on Breonna Taylor's home. These charges follow the dismissal of serious charges against the officers and aim to address legal issues raised by previous court rulings. Jaynes and Meany are accused of lying about key details in the search warrant that led to the deadly raid. According to the indictment, they withheld information from fellow officers and misled the court by falsely stating that a postal inspector had verified that Taylor's ex-boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover, was receiving suspicious packages at her home. In reality, no such verification occurred, and Jaynes had only seen Glover at Taylor's home once.
"If the judge had been aware that key statements in the affidavit were false and misleading, she would not have approved the warrant," the indictment states. Additionally, Meany failed to notify officers that Taylor's boyfriend legally owned a gun, putting everyone at greater risk during the raid.
Jaynes and Meany will be arraigned on Oct. 18. Jaynes faces up to 40 years in prison for felony counts related to covering up information after Taylor's death. Meany could face up to five years for lying to the FBI.
The new charges also allege that Jaynes and Meany concealed their plans for the Taylor raid from SWAT, even after warnings of the risks. Former officer Kelly Goodlett has already pleaded guilty to conspiring with Jaynes to provide false information in the search warrant. She is expected to testify against the officers. Jaynes and Meany, along with Brett Hankison, are also charged with civil rights offenses and unlawful conspiracies. While Taylor's death continues to resonate, questions remain about how the new indictments will impact ongoing legal proceedings.
Link: WDRB