Trump says he’s ‘praying’ for officers shot at Breonna Taylor protests
President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday night that he was praying for the two Kentucky police officers who had been shot and wounded amid protests that emerged after a grand jury brought no charges against Louisville police for the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor.
“Praying for the two police officers that were shot tonight in Louisville, Kentucky. The Federal Government stands behind you and is ready to help,” Trump wrote.
The president added that he had spoken to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, and that “we are prepared to work together, immediately upon request!”
Louisville’s interim police chief announced late Wednesday that a suspect was in custody in relation to the shooting of the two officers, both of whom are expected to recover, the chief said.
The violence unfolded against a backdrop of mass demonstrations in Kentucky’s largest city — hours after prosecutors said two officers who fired their weapons at Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, were justified in using force to protect themselves because they faced gunfire from her boyfriend.
The only charges were three counts of wanton endangerment against fired Officer Brett Hankison for shooting into a home next to Taylor’s with people inside. The FBI is still investigating potential violations of federal law in connection with the March raid at Taylor’s home.
Asked about the charging decision at a White House news conference earlier Wednesday evening, Trump offered a somewhat muted response. He recited a statement by Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron that condemned “mob justice” and argued the criminal justice system should not “simply act on emotion or outrage.”
Trump assessed that Cameron, a Republican, is “handling it very well,” and referenced Beshear’s authorization of a limited deployment of the National Guard. “I think it’s a very positive thing, and it will all work out,” he told reporters.
The president later excused himself from the briefing room as he was pressed to address the unrest surrounding the Taylor case, saying he had to take an “emergency phone call.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
