NEW You can now listen to articles from Fox News!
A former Louisville metro police department detective reportedly plans to plead guilty for his alleged role in the March 2020 shooting death of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old black woman, that sparked protests across the country.
Kelly Hanna Goodlett, 35, is charged with felony conspiracy to violate Taylor’s civil rights for her alleged role in forging an affidavit to search Taylor’s apartment, which ultimately led to Taylor’s death the young woman of 26 years.
Brandon Marshall, Goodlett’s attorney, announced in court Friday that Goodlett plans to plead guilty during his Aug. 22 arraignment, according to The Courier-Journal.
Magistrate Judge Regina Edwards ordered the former Louisville officer to surrender his passport and avoid contact with his co-defendants, Louisville Sgt. Kyle Meany and former detectives Joshua Jaynes and Brett Hankison, The Courier-Journal reported.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CHARGES 4 LOUISVILLE POLICE OFFICERS IN BREONNA TAYLOR INVESTIGATION
Kelly Hanna Goodlett, 35, is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the civil rights of Breonna Taylor for her alleged role in forging an affidavit to search Taylor’s apartment. (LMPD Facebook)
Goodlett, an eight-year veteran of the LMPD, along with Meany, Jaynes and Hankison, were part of a police unit established in 2019 called Place-Based Investigations (PBI). The unit was tasked with investigating alleged drug trafficking in the West End area of Louisville, about 10 miles from Taylor’s home, according to a federal complaint filed earlier this month.
BREONNA TAYLOR’S DEATH: EX-LOUISVILLE POLICE CHARGED IN 2020 SHOOTING CLEARED ON ALL COASTS
PBI obtained five warrants to search properties allegedly involved in drug trafficking, including Taylor’s home. Taylor’s boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover (“JG”), appears to be the target of the investigation, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit also alleges that the warrant for Taylor’s apartment contained falsified statements.
“On March 13, 2020, at approximately 12:45 a.m., LMPD officers who had no involvement in drafting the search warrant and were unaware of the false statements contained therein executed the warrant at Taylor’s home,” the complaint states. “When these officers broke down the door to the apartment, a guest at Taylor’s (KW) house, believing that intruders were breaking in, immediately fired a shot with a legally owned handgun, striking the first officer at the door “.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
In response to the gunshot, two officers “instantly fired a total of 22 shots into the apartment, with one of those shots striking Breonna Taylor in the chest,” while a third officer moved to the side of the Taylor’s apartment and “fired ten more shots through a window and a sliding glass door,” the complaint states.
Goodlett faces up to five years in prison on the charge, according to The Courier-Journal.
Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for FOX Business and Fox News. Send tips by email to audrey.conklin@fox.com or on Twitter @audpants.