On Friday (Aug. 23), CNN reported that two former Louisville Metro Police Department detectives were cleared of felony charges in connection with the fatal raid on Breonna Taylor's home. Detective Joshua Jaynes and Sgt. Kyle Meany were accused of submitting a false affidavit to search Taylor's home and creating a false cover story to evade responsibility.

The judge, Charles Simpson, ruled that Kenneth Walker, Taylor's boyfriend, was the legal cause of her death. Walker had fired his gun at police officers when they burst into the home, believing them to be intruders. This prompted a hail of gunfire from the officers, which resulted in Taylor's death. The judge determined that there was no direct link between "the warrantless entry" and Taylor's death.

While the judge dismissed the felony charges, he found that how the warrant was executed contributed to the tragic outcome. The raid took place just after midnight on March 13, 2020, and Walker's decision was an instinctive response to the surprise blitz.

“Taylor’s death was proximately caused by the manner in which the warrant was executed,” read court documents. “[Walker’s] decision to open fire, as alleged and argued, was the natural and probable consequence of executing the warrant at 12:45 a.m. on ‘an unsuspecting household.’ That decision prompted the return fire which hit and killed Taylor.”

The judge also reduced a misdemeanor charge against Jaynes and Meany, finding that the evidence did not support the use of a dangerous weapon to deprive Taylor of her Fourth Amendment rights. The Department of Justice is said to be reviewing the judge's decision.

The former Louisville police officers involved in the Breonna Taylor case have faced various legal consequences. Jaynes was fired for misconduct related to the search warrant, while Meany was terminated following his federal charges. Brett Hankison, another officer involved, is facing a retrial for his role in the incident. Ex-detective Kelly Hannah Goodlett has pleaded guilty to falsifying evidence related to the case and awaits sentencing.