Kenneth Walker's Legal Defense Fund
Donation protected
Summary:
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Kenny Walker witnessed his girlfriend's death at the hands of police officers, was intimidated and targeted by the LMPD before charges were later dismissed, and has been through hell since. Now one of the officers on the raid that killed Kenny's girlfriend is suing him for assault and “emotional distress.” This is in spite of the fact that:
- it was Kenneth who endured a home invasion by armed plainclothes intruders
- it was Kenneth who watched his girlfriend die before his eyes
- it was Kenneth who was intimidated and jailed
- it was Kenneth who was charged for attempted murder
- it was Kenneth who watched the men who killed his girlfriend escape any charges related to her death, much less convictions
It’s outrageous for one of the men partially responsible for all that, to sue the man who endured it.
The raid that killed Breonna Taylor was poorly conceived, nightmarishly executed, and hastily covered-up. The subsequent grand jury proceedings were farcical and staged. Daniel Cameron’s statements were disingenuous, at best. Jon Mattingly’s lawsuit is the nearly-unbelievable next step in this ongoing mockery of justice.
Help us fight it!
What Happened:
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After midnight on March 13th, Kenneth Walker was relaxing in his girlfriend’s Louisville apartment when he heard loud, disturbing knocks coming from his girlfriend’s front door. Repeated questions asking “Who is it?” received no response other than insistent, frightening thuds.
Kenny was understandably scared, and did what any reasonable young man would do - he grabbed his legally registered handgun and hoped the aggressors would leave.
They didn’t. The door flew open. He fired one shot, low to the ground, trying to scare off the intruders before they could hurt him or his girlfriend. In response, the invaders open-fired into the apartment. And in moments, Kenny’s girlfriend lay dying on the floor.
You know her name, but here it is again: Breonna Taylor.
Kenny, terrified, called his mother, and then 911. He frantically reported that intruders shot his girlfriend, asked for help, and then he called Breonna’s mother to tell her that her daughter had been assaulted.
There were police all around when he walked out of the apartment. Kenny assumed they’d arrived to help his girlfriend, but as they pointed their guns at him, red-faced and screaming, he realized the truth.
The police weren’t there to save Breonna. They’d just killed her.
Released footage shows this moment in brutal detail. Kenny is utterly shell-shocked, asking what’s happening as police force him to the ground and handcuff him. “You’re going to fucking prison,” responds a belligerent officer. “What did I do?” Kenny cries. The officer only says “- for the rest of your fucking life.” Generously, one could assume the officer was confused about who really killed someone that night. Less generously, one could assume that the officer was trying to intimidate, shame, and terrify an innocent man who just watched the love of his life die in front of him.
In the early hours of the night, the LMPD charged Kenny with outright murder as the LMPD whirled with internal chaos and disorder. That morning, the charge was amended to attempted murder - Kenny’s single discharged bullet supposedly struck an officer’s leg. Over the next few months, more details about the case came to light. He was fully within his legal rights to protect himself, his girlfriend, and his home from armed intruders under KRS 508.035 - Kentucky’s “Stand Your Ground” law. And there’s a great deal of evidence suggesting that Kenny’s single shot wasn’t even the one that struck Officer Jonathan Mattingly (see the Evidence section). As the false allegations unraveled, charges against Kenny were dismissed without prejudice over the protestations of LMPD.
But that was far from the end of his ordeal. The case became the centerpiece of a national firestorm regarding the killings of unarmed African-Americans by police officers. Kenny was forced to hear endless debate and discussion of his traumatic experience, many of it filled with outright lies. He constantly heard Breonna’s name in the mouths of strangers, and saw her face in the news every day. He had to see Officer Mattingly describe LMPD actions that night as doing “the legal, moral, and ethical thing.” He witnessed smear campaigns against himself, and nauseatingly, Breonna.
The cries for justice against the officers mounted, and the nation grew tense as the investigation dragged on. Louisville prepared for unrest; the mayor declared a state of emergency. But perhaps nobody was more nervous than Kenneth Walker. There had to be justice against the people who killed the love of his life, right?
Not even close. None of the officers involved were charged in connection with Breonna’s death. Grand jurors weren’t even given that opportunity. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron presented half-facts that distorted the truth.
Louisville was outraged. The nation was furious. Kenneth, who had been dealing with grief, pain, and anger for months, could hardly believe it. The injustice was and is staggering.
And then, on top of all that, Jon Mattingly sued Kenny.
Enough is enough. From the moment officers falsely obtained the warrant through lies and perjury until today, Kenny has been suffered one injustice after another.
Evidence:
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Officer Mattingly was shot. That much is undeniable. But there’s good reason to believe that the bullet didn’t come from Kenneth’s gun:
- a KSP ballistics report did not conclude that Kenneth's gun had fired the shot that hit Mattingly
- Mattingly retreated after supposedly being shot through the femur, but left no blood trail from his initial position inside Breonna's door
- Mattingly’s gunshot exit wound was smaller than the entry wound, a fact wholly inconsistent with Kenneth’s hollow-point ammunition
- the round that allegedly hit Mattingly was never identified with Kenneth’s hollow-point ammunition or even a 9mm round
- the upwards angle of the bullet trajectory through Mattingly’s leg was inconsistent with Kenneth’s standing, arms-extended firing position
- a second volley of bullets fired by officers coincided with Mattingly admittedly tripping over another officer in the parking lot
- a neighbor was on the phone with 911 when the second volley occurred which coincided with Mattingly tripping
- the first report of an officer being shot occurred at the onset of the second volley, which coincided with Mattingly tripping
- Mattingly’s blood was found in the parking lot where he tripped over another officer
- Brett Hankison, an officer present who was charged with wanton endangerment for blindly firing his gun, was issued a 9mm handgun
What Donations Will Do:
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Donations will be withdrawn by Kenneth's attorney into a designated escrow account to pay for legal expenses in the defense against Mattingly’s lawsuit and any related lawsuits. If there is money left over after the fact, it will go to Kenny personally.
Organizer Information:
----------------------------------------
My name is Jacob Romines. I am the 22 year-old son of Steve Romines, Kenneth's attorney in his suit against the LMPD. I'm making this GoFundMe because while Kenny's case against the LMPD falls under a contingency fee arrangement, Kenny's defense against Mattingly's lawsuit does not, and Kenny shouldn't pay a dime for this.
Links for Information:
----------------------------------------
See Kenny and his lawyers discuss the grand jury decision .
See Steve Romines discuss the deep flaws in Daniel Cameron's report.
See information about Mattingly's lawsuit against Kenny.
See footage of Kenny's arrest.
----------------------------------------
Kenny Walker witnessed his girlfriend's death at the hands of police officers, was intimidated and targeted by the LMPD before charges were later dismissed, and has been through hell since. Now one of the officers on the raid that killed Kenny's girlfriend is suing him for assault and “emotional distress.” This is in spite of the fact that:
- it was Kenneth who endured a home invasion by armed plainclothes intruders
- it was Kenneth who watched his girlfriend die before his eyes
- it was Kenneth who was intimidated and jailed
- it was Kenneth who was charged for attempted murder
- it was Kenneth who watched the men who killed his girlfriend escape any charges related to her death, much less convictions
It’s outrageous for one of the men partially responsible for all that, to sue the man who endured it.
The raid that killed Breonna Taylor was poorly conceived, nightmarishly executed, and hastily covered-up. The subsequent grand jury proceedings were farcical and staged. Daniel Cameron’s statements were disingenuous, at best. Jon Mattingly’s lawsuit is the nearly-unbelievable next step in this ongoing mockery of justice.
Help us fight it!
What Happened:
----------------------------------------
After midnight on March 13th, Kenneth Walker was relaxing in his girlfriend’s Louisville apartment when he heard loud, disturbing knocks coming from his girlfriend’s front door. Repeated questions asking “Who is it?” received no response other than insistent, frightening thuds.
Kenny was understandably scared, and did what any reasonable young man would do - he grabbed his legally registered handgun and hoped the aggressors would leave.
They didn’t. The door flew open. He fired one shot, low to the ground, trying to scare off the intruders before they could hurt him or his girlfriend. In response, the invaders open-fired into the apartment. And in moments, Kenny’s girlfriend lay dying on the floor.
You know her name, but here it is again: Breonna Taylor.
Kenny, terrified, called his mother, and then 911. He frantically reported that intruders shot his girlfriend, asked for help, and then he called Breonna’s mother to tell her that her daughter had been assaulted.
There were police all around when he walked out of the apartment. Kenny assumed they’d arrived to help his girlfriend, but as they pointed their guns at him, red-faced and screaming, he realized the truth.
The police weren’t there to save Breonna. They’d just killed her.
Released footage shows this moment in brutal detail. Kenny is utterly shell-shocked, asking what’s happening as police force him to the ground and handcuff him. “You’re going to fucking prison,” responds a belligerent officer. “What did I do?” Kenny cries. The officer only says “- for the rest of your fucking life.” Generously, one could assume the officer was confused about who really killed someone that night. Less generously, one could assume that the officer was trying to intimidate, shame, and terrify an innocent man who just watched the love of his life die in front of him.
In the early hours of the night, the LMPD charged Kenny with outright murder as the LMPD whirled with internal chaos and disorder. That morning, the charge was amended to attempted murder - Kenny’s single discharged bullet supposedly struck an officer’s leg. Over the next few months, more details about the case came to light. He was fully within his legal rights to protect himself, his girlfriend, and his home from armed intruders under KRS 508.035 - Kentucky’s “Stand Your Ground” law. And there’s a great deal of evidence suggesting that Kenny’s single shot wasn’t even the one that struck Officer Jonathan Mattingly (see the Evidence section). As the false allegations unraveled, charges against Kenny were dismissed without prejudice over the protestations of LMPD.
But that was far from the end of his ordeal. The case became the centerpiece of a national firestorm regarding the killings of unarmed African-Americans by police officers. Kenny was forced to hear endless debate and discussion of his traumatic experience, many of it filled with outright lies. He constantly heard Breonna’s name in the mouths of strangers, and saw her face in the news every day. He had to see Officer Mattingly describe LMPD actions that night as doing “the legal, moral, and ethical thing.” He witnessed smear campaigns against himself, and nauseatingly, Breonna.
The cries for justice against the officers mounted, and the nation grew tense as the investigation dragged on. Louisville prepared for unrest; the mayor declared a state of emergency. But perhaps nobody was more nervous than Kenneth Walker. There had to be justice against the people who killed the love of his life, right?
Not even close. None of the officers involved were charged in connection with Breonna’s death. Grand jurors weren’t even given that opportunity. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron presented half-facts that distorted the truth.
Louisville was outraged. The nation was furious. Kenneth, who had been dealing with grief, pain, and anger for months, could hardly believe it. The injustice was and is staggering.
And then, on top of all that, Jon Mattingly sued Kenny.
Enough is enough. From the moment officers falsely obtained the warrant through lies and perjury until today, Kenny has been suffered one injustice after another.
Evidence:
----------------------------------------
Officer Mattingly was shot. That much is undeniable. But there’s good reason to believe that the bullet didn’t come from Kenneth’s gun:
- a KSP ballistics report did not conclude that Kenneth's gun had fired the shot that hit Mattingly
- Mattingly retreated after supposedly being shot through the femur, but left no blood trail from his initial position inside Breonna's door
- Mattingly’s gunshot exit wound was smaller than the entry wound, a fact wholly inconsistent with Kenneth’s hollow-point ammunition
- the round that allegedly hit Mattingly was never identified with Kenneth’s hollow-point ammunition or even a 9mm round
- the upwards angle of the bullet trajectory through Mattingly’s leg was inconsistent with Kenneth’s standing, arms-extended firing position
- a second volley of bullets fired by officers coincided with Mattingly admittedly tripping over another officer in the parking lot
- a neighbor was on the phone with 911 when the second volley occurred which coincided with Mattingly tripping
- the first report of an officer being shot occurred at the onset of the second volley, which coincided with Mattingly tripping
- Mattingly’s blood was found in the parking lot where he tripped over another officer
- Brett Hankison, an officer present who was charged with wanton endangerment for blindly firing his gun, was issued a 9mm handgun
What Donations Will Do:
----------------------------------------
Donations will be withdrawn by Kenneth's attorney into a designated escrow account to pay for legal expenses in the defense against Mattingly’s lawsuit and any related lawsuits. If there is money left over after the fact, it will go to Kenny personally.
Organizer Information:
----------------------------------------
My name is Jacob Romines. I am the 22 year-old son of Steve Romines, Kenneth's attorney in his suit against the LMPD. I'm making this GoFundMe because while Kenny's case against the LMPD falls under a contingency fee arrangement, Kenny's defense against Mattingly's lawsuit does not, and Kenny shouldn't pay a dime for this.
Links for Information:
----------------------------------------
See Kenny and his lawyers discuss the grand jury decision .
See Steve Romines discuss the deep flaws in Daniel Cameron's report.
See information about Mattingly's lawsuit against Kenny.
See footage of Kenny's arrest.
Organizer and beneficiary
Jacob Romines
Organizer
Louisville, KY
Steve Romines
Beneficiary
