Friday, May 15, 2020 – 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

IMC Purpose:

• Economic Development
• Educational Advancement
• Social Justice

We have no hesitation to offer commendation for any accomplishments that advance the disenfranchised and marginalized in our community.

We also have no hesitation in offering constructive critique and/or condemnation of any policies or processes that further oppress distressed and oppressed communities.

We are laser-focused on the deliberate delays to making radical systemic and structural changes that will repair black people and their places of community. We are not impressed with anything less than the pursuit of equity – not just equality – but equity. Black people in this city cannot stand another month of gradual, baby-stepped, incremental change. Such micro-measures do nothing to get black communities caught up. Social injustices that have put black people – American Descendants of Slavery - at the bottom of everything are perpetuated by the failure to prioritize the immediate repair and uplift that is needed. COVID-19 shows us that health determinants stem from economic determinants which stem from race determinants. Those singled out historically for preferential mistreatment must be singled out for preferential treatment.

IMC Proclamation:

The Interdenominational Ministerial Coalition (IMC) finds prevailing displeasure in the details we are discovering concerning the Louisville Metro Police Department’s handling of the search warrant issued March 12, 2020 and executed March 13, 2020 for the residence of Breonna Taylor on 3003 Springfield Drive, #4, Louisville, KY 40214. Subsequently, the IMC issued the following statement:

Statement by Interdenominational Ministerial Coalition On the Tragic Death of Breonna Taylor

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

The Interdenominational Ministerial Coalition (“IMC”) believes in both truth and justice, and in their fair administration and delivery. We are saddened by the tragic death of Breonna Taylor and the circumstances surrounding her death. It has been more than two months with no statement to the public regarding this incident. As truth seekers and believers, we seek the complete truth of the facts and the circumstances surrounding her death.

To that end, we call for an immediate independent investigation into Ms. Taylor’s death led by law enforcement, investigators, and prosecutors outside the Louisville community. We recommend investigation include the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney. We call on the Mayor, Chief of Police, and the Commonwealth Attorney to cooperate with such an independent investigation. Once the investigation is complete, we call for all evidence found, and the full investigative report be made freely available to the public.

We also call for the establishment of a civilian review board with subpoena power in Metro Louisville, as existed in the old City of Louisville. We ask that all our elected leaders both state their support for the creation of this board and take action to create and enable it.

Rev. Dr. Frank M. Smith, Jr., President 502-648-2446 (Cell)

imcpastors@gmail.com

JOINED BY:

EMPOWER WEST LOUISVILLE

Rev. Dr. Kevin W. Cosby, Pastor, St. Stephen Baptist Church, and Rev. Joe Phelps, minister-at-large, co-chairs

J. Chris Sanders, coordinator

Rev. Ann Deibert, co-pastor, Central Presbyterian Church Mr. Raymond Burse

Dr. Cynthia Campbell, pastor, Highland Presbyterian Church Fr. Troy Overton

Rector Kelly Kirby, St. Matthews Episcopal Church

Rev. David L. Snardon, pastor, Joshua Tabernacle Baptist Church Rev. Jason Crosby, pastor, Crescent Hill Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Frank M. Smith, Jr., pastor, Christ’s Church for Our Community

SECTION ONE:

To that end, we call for an immediate independent investigation into Ms. Taylor’s death led by law enforcement, investigators, and prosecutors outside the Louisville community. We recommend investigation include the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney. We call on the Mayor, Chief of Police, and the Commonwealth Attorney to cooperate with such an independent investigation. Once the investigation is complete, we call for all evidence found, and the full investigative report be made freely available to the public.

Reactive Concerns about the Current Case:

• We call for the independent investigation to start from the beginning of the entire proceedings leading to the arrest warrants both at Elliott Avenue and at Breonna Taylor’s residence on Springfield Drive. We will not tolerate an independent investigation that merely review the findings of the internal investigation. We want to know any and all processes engaged by any and all investigations associated with this case and be assured that all external investigation proceedings are doing their own comprehensive discovery of all surveillance, documentation, etc. leading up to the decision to issue and act upon all search warrants associated with this case (i.e. Elliott Avenue and Springfield Drive).

• We urge the LMPD to give a swift acknowledgement to the public concerning all misconduct related to any failed procedures in carrying out the Search Warrant at Breonna Taylor’s residence. The community deserves an assessment of what procedures were and were not followed that resulted in no shooting or fatalities in carrying out the Search Warrant on Elliott Avenue versus what procedures were and were not followed that led to the destruction of Breonna Taylor’s life.

• We want IMC clergy representation in the review of the “No-Knock” Warrant process and how it relates to warrants exercised by non-uniformed or uniformed police units. We want to know what intelligence and/or surveillance (if any) informed the officers prior to the decision to act upon the search warrant on Springfield Drive (i.e. any prior knowledge of who was inside the Springfield Drive apartment). We demand changes in the policy as determined by the collaborative analysis of investigation proceedings.

• We want IMC clergy involvement in the review of the Body-Cam policies for non- uniform police action. When non-uniform officers are working undercover versus carrying out tactical endeavors such as search warrants, we want the assurance that audio or visual monitoring devices are implemented consistently when carrying out either function. We demand changes in the policy as determined by the collaborative analysis of investigation proceedings.
• We call for the release of all 911 calls relating to the incident on Springfield Drive.

SECTION TWO:

We also call for the establishment of a civilian review board with subpoena power in Metro Louisville, as existed in the old City of Louisville. We ask that all our elected leaders both state their support for the creation of this board and take action to create and enable it.

Proactive Considerations beyond the Current Case:

• The IMC sees this a requirement in the move forward for Louisville Metro. With a history of eroding community trust in LMPD, the only way we can move beyond this incident that has besmirched our city in the eyes of the Nation and world is to demonstrate swift and certain retooling and establishment of a strong, empowered Civilian Oversight program for LMPD. This program may need to be a hybrid implementation that has an oversight board that employs an individual (i.e. Inspector General, Auditor, Monitor). This will improve trust, make certain that complaints are effectively heard, increase transparency, instill within each officer a greater sense of accountability, prevent flagrant police misconduct, and promote thorough, fair investigations. Police personnel records should be released if they have received disciplinary action or are involved in a police shooting incident. Whenever there is a police-involved shooting, the metro council member of that district where the shooting took place must be kept abreast of all proceedings so that they may appropriate address their constituents.
• LMPD procedures for conducting internal investigation gives ALL AUTHORITY to the Chief of Police for determining which SOP’s (Standard Operation Procedures) apply to a given investigation, rather than ensuring that all relevant SOP’s are included. Consequently, this could lead him to “cherry-pick” and apply only those that justify the officer’s use of deadly force.
• LMPD’s position has been that in the case of police use-of -force resulting in injury or death that the department’s internal capacity to adequately handle investigation is greater than any external capacity. (THIS IS COUNTER TO THE MAYOR’S CALL IN THE PAST FOR GREATER TRANSPARENCY. This does not foster trust and transparency- rather, it promotes mistrust in the community and resembles cover-up)
• Louisville’s Citizens Commission on Police Accountability is the only vehicle for external evaluation; however, its work is extremely limited. The commission has rarely made any recommendations in its 17-year history. They are listening to (not reviewing) cases and incidents that are years old. Furthermore, a review of the minutes shows that with every case that went before them within the past year, the members voted unanimously to declare the investigations “adequate and complete,” with no discussion before the vote. The Citizens Commission on Police Accountability is powerless.