Louisville Metro Corrections says it fired officer for offensive LMPD, Breonna Taylor video
Louisville Metro Corrections says it fired an officer this week who had filmed an offensive video at the Kentucky State Fair, according to representatives from the city and the jail.
Turhan Knight, who had worked for Metro Corrections since 2018, is no longer employed by the jail as of Thursday, according to Louisville Metro Department of Corrections union president Daniel Johnson. The organization will not appeal his termination, Johnson said, and members are "glad to see the department take quick action to end his employment."
"The video was absolutely horrible, and there is no place in uniform for anyone that would do something so insensitive," Johnson said Friday. "We believe the termination was absolutely justified and was the right decision. Knight's views and opinions of LMPD does not reflect those of FOP Lodge 77."
Knight, meanwhile, has said he had recently given notice that he planned to leave the department and said he was not served termination paperwork, as his time with Metro Corrections was already set to end around the time when the video became public.
The video appeared to be filmed as a parody Louisville Metro Police recruitment pitch. Knight, the lone speaker on screen, is shown in uniform walking alongside LMPD vehicles at the fair while telling viewers the department is "trying to repair broken relationships" with the community.
"Be a part of a great, great police department," Knight says on screen at one point. "Never mind what happened, to Breonna Taylor – we killed that b----."
Taylor was a 26-year-old Black woman shot and killed by LMPD officers serving a no-knock warrant at her apartment in March 2020. Her death led to a major protest movement in Louisville and across the nation. Four former police officials are facing federal charges over her killing, with former Officer Kelly Goodlett pleading guilty earlier this week to one count of conspiring to violate Taylor's civil rights, as Goodlett admitted to helping falsify an affidavit for the search of her apartment.
In the video, Knight discusses the perks of working for LMPD, including unlimited time off and the ability to support a family.
"Do you want to kill people and be able to get off for it?" Knight asks in conclusion. "Join Louisville Metro Police Department and answer the call."
In a social media exchange with a Courier Journal reporter Friday night, Knight said he was in the process of retaining a lawyer and had recently put in his two-weeks notice with Metro Corrections, with Friday scheduled to be his last day on the job. The video was a joke based on his feelings toward LMPD, he said, and how "some officers handled past situations."
Knight said he was "deeply remorseful," though, and did not mean to offend Taylor or her family. He said he has close ties with the family of Kenneth Walker, Taylor's boyfriend who was with her at the time of the shooting, and that he regretted the video.
In an additional statement sent Saturday morning, Knight again apologized to Taylor's family, as well as his own family and other law enforcement officials. He said he had not been fired but had informed the department he was planning to leave the job nearly three weeks earlier, and that he had not been served any termination paperwork as he had already been scheduled to leave the department by the end of the week.
"I should have received punishment I don’t deny that, but blatant lies told against me to look good for media purposes is just wrong," Knight wrote, noting he planned to have an attorney release additional information in the future. "... In closing I hope that I can be forgiven, I pray I will. I made a terrible decision, there aren’t enough apologies that I can give right now but I am deeply remorseful."
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In a statement sent Friday to The Courier Journal, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer described the video as "hideous." The former officer was "fired immediately upon learning of the video," his statement said.
"There is zero excuse for his insensitivity," Fischer's statement said. "He has brought great shame upon Metro Corrections and all of Louisville Metro Government. I deeply apologize to the family of Breonna Taylor and all of the hard working and ethical employees of Louisville Metro Government. One person will not tarnish the good work we attempt to do on behalf of our residents."
A statement from Metro Corrections said the jail fired Knight on Thursday after confirming the video existed and viewing it.
"Director (Jerry) Collins was disgusted by the content of the video and moved as quickly as possible to terminate Knight," the statement said. "Knight's behavior is unacceptable and does not reflect the professionalism and spirit of service that we strive for at LMDC."
This story may be updated.
Reporter Krista Johnson contributed. Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@courier-journal.com
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville jail officer fired for offensive LMPD, Breonna Taylor video
