'Significant' Dollars For Breonna Taylor's Family, But No Charges Against Louisville Officers Yet

The Louisville mayor was set to reveal details Tuesday about the settlement reached in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Breonna Taylor’s family. What is not known is if there will be any additional updates about the Kentucky attorney general’s investigation into the shooting or possible criminal charges being filed against the officers involved.

Sam Aguire, a lawyer for Taylor’s family, said the settlement will include a “significant dollar amount” and additional police reforms after months of Black Lives Matter protests. Reports say the city's payout could be as high as $12 million and planned reforms include greater scrutiny on officers executing search warrants and new, mandatory safeguards.

“This is probably the largest settlement for police misconduct in the history of Louisville and includes substantial police reform, as well,” Aguiar said in a press release.

Previously, the highest city payout over police misconduct was $8.5 million to Edwin Chandler in 2012. Chandler was wrongfully imprisoned for nine years in prison after former detective Mark Handy perjured himself, leading to Chandler being convicted of manslaughter and robbery.

Tuesday’s press conference is scheduled to take place at 2 p.m. at the office of Mayor Greg Fischer, though it is not known if he will be in attendance. Taylor’s family and their attorneys Aguire and Lonita Baker will be in attendance, along with civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump.

Despite the apparent progress the settlement represents, there is no indication city or state officials will provide additional update about the investigation into the March 13 shooting. The most recent update was on Sept. 9, when a grand jury was set to hear evidence gathered during the investigation and rule whether to charge the three officers – Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove.

Louisville community activist Christopher 2X said Taylor’s family met with Attorney General Daniel Cameron in August to preview the grand jury hearings. Lonita Baker said she was also contacted by Cameron’s office about the grand jury hearings.

“On Aug. 12, at the meeting with Tamika Palmer's family and her lawyers with Cameron's office, Cameron told the family that once the FBI ballistics come back and they do re-interviews with witnesses that his office will put the case in front of Jefferson County grand jury,” Christopher 2X told CNN.

It was the first major update in the case in months as Cameron’s office appeared hesistant to share any details about its investigation. This apparent hesitation led to months of growing frustration among Black Lives Matter protesters in Louisville demanding justice for Taylor.

The public’s frustration was shared by some local and state officials who asked Cameron’s office to provide some type of update at different points over the summer.

“Certainly the investigation and the evaluation of this case has gone on far too long and I think even those who are involved in that, which I'm not as a governor, would agree to that,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in July.

However, Cameron recently reiterated that a proper investigation “cannot follow a specific timeline” and the office was trying to be as thorough as possible.

“My office is continually asked about a timeline regarding the investigation into the death of Ms. Breonna Taylor. An investigation, if done properly, cannot follow a specific timeline,” Cameron said in a press release.

“When the investigation concludes and a decision is made, we will provide an update about an announcement. The news will come from our office and not unnamed sources. Until that time, the investigation remains ongoing.”