The big news recently concerning the Louisville Metro Police Department in Kentucky centered on Joshua Jaynes.
As The Free Press posted on Thursday, Jaynes is the former Louisville detective who sought the warrant for a no-knock raid on the apartment of Bronna Taylor in March 2020.
Cops were at Taylor’s home to serve a warrant on drug charges.
As police entered the apartment, Taylor’s boyfriend opened fire, apparently not knowing who was coming through the door. Taylor, who was black, was tragically killed in the crossfire. Even though there was no proof that race played a role in the incident her case became a prominent cause for Black Lives Matter activists.
On Wednesday, an oversight board voted unanimously to uphold Jaynes’ firing.
With all that happening, it was easy to miss the other news concerning the department.
The Thomas More Society, a conservative public interest law firm, announced last week that the Louisville Metro Police Department will not discipline an unnamed officer for praying the rosary at an abortion clinic last winter.
The More Society noted in a press release that the officer and his father on Feb. 20 prayed the rosary, a Catholic prayer dedicated to the Virgin Mary, for less than an hour in front of the EMW Women’s Surgical Center.
The officer, a decorated 13-year veteran, was off duty at the time.
When he went on duty later that day, he was ordered off the streets and placed on administrative leave, with pay, while the department investigated.
According to the More Society, which represented the officer, he had no prior disciplinary violations and was a married father of four.
When the department sent provisions department policy and state law that he supposedly violated, the cop’s lawyer and the More Society answered with proof that his actions were covered by the department’s union contract, standard operating procedures, and the First Amendment.
They noted that the cop and his father walked quietly back and forth while praying, as the abortion clinic was closed and the street in front of it was practically deserted.
Moreover, they pointed out that the department “has not taken disciplinary action against on-duty, uniformed officers who marched with Black Lives Matter protestors and in LBGT parades.”
The department relented last week and allowed him back on the job, the More Society said.
“We are happy for the officer that the Louisville Police Department finally did the right thing and put a good policeman back on the streets,” said Matt Heffron, a lawyer from the More Society.
“But it is astounding to those of us defending him – shocking actually – that the police department would treat a hardworking, loyal officer this way. They left him twisting in the wind for four months because of off-duty prayer.”
“None of the officer’s off-duty prayer was covered by the LMPD allegations, and any formal punishment, under these circumstances, would violate his First Amendment rights,” Heffron added.
“It was quickly clear to our lawyers, LMPD did not have a foot to stand on. It’s too bad it took LMPD four months to figure it out.”
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