LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Police have released video of the interrogation with the shooter from the Shively Animal Clinic incident on May 14.
A grand jury decided Friday that the woman acted in self defense when she shot and killed 21-year-old Trent Taylor at the animal hospital, so she won't be facing charges. WHAS11 News will not be using the shooter's name, because she wasn't indicted.
The Commonwealth's Attorney's Office said Taylor was the initial aggressor. The office points to video evidence and several witness statements showing he initiated "various levels of violent force" prior to the shooting.
In the 24 minute video, the shooter gave a detailed account of what happened. She admitted her emotions were high, because she wanted answers about her dog, but said she didn't expect the altercation to turn fatal.
The interrogation video starts by the woman explaining that her dog was sick and she took the dog back to the clinic after unsuccessful results the first time.
She said the clinic told her they would keep the dog overnight. She agreed and said she asked if she could call during the night after being told the clinic operated 24 hours a day.
"She's my emotional support animal. I have PTSD, bipolar and severe anxiety," she said.
Having not gotten an answer all night, the woman - anxious now - said she called at 7:30 a.m. and someone answered and hung up without providing an update on her dog's condition. She said at 9:30 a.m. she called again, and was told that her doctor would be in touch.
Around 4:30 p.m. she said she got a call saying her dog was ready for pickup, and the after-hours fee was $150. The clinic closes at 4:30 on Sundays -- the day in question.
"So I get in there. I'm visibly upset at this point. I'm not yelling and screaming, but I'm visibly upset," the woman said.
She said she was then told she would have to wait an hour for her dog's release. Frustrated, but she said still speaking calmly, she told the woman in scrubs that she wants her dog and she wasn't paying for the service because she wasn't happy with it.
"She was like, 'We're gonna call the Shively Police Department.' I said, 'Please call them. Call them now,'" the woman said.
After that, she said the staff started discussing the situation and she stuck her foot in the doorway to hear them.
"So, I'm standing in a doorway. [A] lady comes up, she pushes me. I said, 'She just put her hands on me.' So my wife is like, 'Who put their hands on you? Calm down, calm down,'" the woman said.
She said Taylor pushed her again, and that's when her wife got involved. After that altercation, video shows Taylor running outside, then coming back to swipe at the shooter's purse while she was rummaging through it. The video shows that she then pulls out her gun.
The couple goes toward the door, and that's when she said Taylor hit her with a traffic cone and a rake and began fighting with her wife.
She told the detective she also didn't tell anyone she had a gun, and it was hidden in her purse.
She said her and her wife were left with bruises and cuts over their face.
Taylor's family said he was only trying to protect his coworkers and stepmother, who work at the animal clinic. The family's lawyers plan to file a civil suit.
The family will hold a rally calling for justice on Monday at 11 a.m.
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