Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Wine requests special prosecutor for Breonna Taylor case

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney Tom Wine has recused his office from the Breonna Taylor investigation, asking instead for a special prosecutor to be appointed to the case.

Taylor, 26, was shot and killed when LMPD narcotics officers engaged in a shootout with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, at her apartment back in March. Even though the incident took place two months ago, coverage of the global coronavirus emergency has in part kept the case from making national headlines until this week.

Wine’s office is prosecuting Walker, who has been charged with attempted murder of a police officer.

“Because our office is prosecuting Mr. Walker’s case, Mr. Wine believes that our office is conflicted from reviewing the LMPD Public Integrity Unit investigation,” the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office said in a statement to media Wednesday. “We are requesting that the matter be assigned to a special prosecutor to review the investigation for future action.”

LMPD investigators said Walker fired at the officers as they tried to serve a narcotics warrant. One officer was struck; three fired back. Those three officers were placed on administrative reassignment, per department protocol. The LMPD Public Integrity Unit is investigating that aspect of the incident.

Taylor’s family has hired high-profile attorney Ben Crump, who represented Trayvon Martin’s family several years ago and is currently representing the family of Ahmaud Arbery, a black jogger who was shot dead in the street by two white men in Georgia in February.