LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Louisville Metro police officer shot during the 2020 Breonna Taylor protests is suing the city and the department.
In a lawsuit filed recently in Jefferson County Circuit Court, five-year veteran Robinson Desroches made claims of discrimination, disability discrimination and racism.
According to the lawsuit, Desroches was subjected to a barrage of abuse, including urine-filled bottles, trash, and even bricks hurled at officers, during the protests. In one particularly violent incident, he was struck in the groin by a brick, causing him to fall to the ground.
The documents say he faced racist insults from protestors who accused him and other Black officers of being on the “wrong side of history.”
He alleges “callous cruelty, aggression and racism” from some of his white colleagues including hearing violent and racist comments directed at protesters, as well as derogatory remarks about Breonna Taylor herself.
Desroches believes the protests drove a wedge between Black and white officers in the department. He said he felt “torn, alone and afraid” – a sentiment echoed by fellow Black officers.
The traumas experienced while Desroches was on the front lines of the protests took a downward turn when tensions exploded following the Jefferson County Grand Jury’s decision not to indict two of the three LMPD officers who fired weapons into Taylor’s apartment.
A man attending the protest fired shots at a group of LMPD officers gathering at Broadway and Brook Street.
Desroches was one of two officers shot. He was hit in the abdomen with a bullet that traveled through his hip and close to his spine.
The severity of his injuries kept him off the force until Nov. 2021. Through his ongoing physical and mental health struggles, Desroches returned to LMPD on light duty.
He said he began looking into recruitment for the department to keep himself occupied from a lack of assignments.
He claims he was approached by Sgt. Justin Bicket and Maj. Emily McKinley to take on a high-profile role, which he believes was an attempt to use his experience as a Black officer and shooting victim to improve LMPD’s public image and recruitment efforts.
According to court documents, he was uncomfortable with the idea of becoming a public face for LMPD so soon after his injury. He declined the role, expressing concerns about his experiences and the burdens faced by Black officers.
His refusal, Desroches said, led to a hostile work environment, including denied job opportunities. Desroches stated he reached out to his lieutenant about ADA accommodations due to his back pain and mobility issues, which he said worsened over time.
He eventually sought more mental health treatment, including therapy for PTSD. His psychiatrist determined he would not be able to return to work.
The trauma and turmoil experienced at the department, Desroches said, became too much for him to bear.
He left on worker’s compensation leave for physical and mental health reasons after consulting with his doctor, and later, a mental health provider on June 17, 2024.
Desroches alleges he was contacted by LMPD commanders within the next few months to meet with Chief Paul Humphrey. He said he was told that Chief Humphrey allegedly said Desroches had “fallen in with the wrong crowd in recruitment” – pointing to two fellow officers who supported him, urging him to take care of his health.
Around Aug. 14. 2024, he was notified that his police powers were suspended.
Attorneys for Desroches said he was deprived of his legal and contractual rights under the collective bargaining agreement.
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