LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The mayor's office will be reviewing the more than 60 cases that were referenced in the Department of Justice's scathing report into Louisville Metro Police and Metro Government.
In a statement to the media, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg's spokesperson said they have received the information and are "beginning our review of the referenced documents, files and body camera footage."
The step toward identifying the officers is thanks to an appendix that officials are using as a key.
The mayor's office said they will release incident details and supporting documents when the review is completed.
The DOJ investigated 63 cases in its report:
- 14 were excessive force
- 10 were discriminatory practices against Black people
- Six were search warrant violations
Sam Marcosson, law professor at the University of Louisville, said it's unclear if we'll see mass firings or discipline because some officers may have already left the department.
For example, one page of the report details a detective who targeted drug addicts for sexual coercion. He resigned before the administrative investigation was complete.
Marcosson also raised a second concern.
"Any new disciplinary proceedings would have to go through some of the hoops and the procedural obstacles that have been an issue within the LMPD for years," Marcosson said.
In a scenario where an officer was already disciplined, but the public doesn't feel it was enough, Marcosson said that would be difficult.
"The most likely way in which additional discipline might be imposed would be if there are new facts that come to light surrounding the same incident," he said.
He said overall, the teeth of the consent decree will determine if LMPD officers and command staff will face discipline.
"And then, most importantly, that the FOP isn't given the opportunity to essentially undermine its effectiveness," Marcosson said.
The mayor's office said it could take several weeks to identify the officers and release all supporting documents.
Here is the full statement:
“We have just received this information from the Department of Justice and are beginning our review of the referenced documents, files, and body camera footage to identify all the details of the incidents referenced in the findings report. When that review has been completed, we will release details of each incident and supporting documents.”
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