A man was shot and killed in Louisville, Ky., allegedly by officers and National Guard soldiers who were returning fire when shots erupted in a large group of people breaking curfew shortly after midnight on Sunday night.
Law enforcement officials were called to the scene outside a food market around 12:15 a.m. According to Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Steve Conrad, someone in the crowd fired shots at officers and both soldiers and police returned fire.
Police and Kentucky National Guard troops chase protesters as they flee toward a fence Sunday, May 31, 2020, in a parking lot at the corner of East Broadway and South Brook Street in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. (Max Gersh/The Courier Journal via AP)
News outlets showed video taken in a car parked at a gas station. It recorded the sound of bullets being fired as groups of police and national guard soldiers crouched behind cars.
“It has been a very difficult four days for our city. Our officers are working very hard to keep people safe,” Conrad said. “While doing that, we've had officers shot at and assaulted. I think it’s very, very clear that many people do not trust the police. That is an issue that we’re going to have to work on and work through for a long time.”
On Monday, protesters gathered outside where the shooting occurred, near the Dino's Food Mart, and mourned the death of “the BBQ man," according to reports by WLKY.
Multiple local reports said the man was the owner of a BBQ restaurant but didn't name his establishment.
The family confirmed the identity of the deceased as David McAtee, WLKY reported.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer met the family near the site of the shooting Monday and attempted to comfort them with hugs, video taken by local media shows.
Fischer had ordered a 9 p.m. curfew over the weekend because of an uptick in violent protests demanding justice for Louisville resident Breonna Taylor, who was killed back in March in her home by narcotics detectives, and for George Floyd, who died in police custody after an officer of the Minneapolis police department kneeled on his neck for over eight minutes.
It remains unclear if McAtee is the one who fired at the law enforcement agents during the confrontation Sunday night. Several “persons of interest” are being interviewed, Conrad said.
Meanwhile, Gov. Andy Beshear called for the body camera footage of the fatal shooting to be released to the public so that people can "decide for themselves" who is at fault.
Speaking at a press conference Monday, the Democratic governor told reporters that every account suggested law enforcement was fired upon first but said he wanted to know all the facts.
"I want the people of Kentucky to be able to decide for themselves," Beshear said. "Let's put it out. Let's let people see it."
Protesters walk down East Vine Street in Lexington, Ky., during a rally against the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor on Sunday, May 31, 2020. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
The governor has authorized state police to launch an independent investigation into the incident.
At least seven people were wounded in instances of gunfire during protests in downtown Louisville last week, prompting Beshear to call in the state National Guard.
Even before Floyd's death, which has garnered national attention, the city's residents have been mourning the death of Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT who was shot by detectives who suspected of her on drug charges. No drugs were found in the home.
More than two months after her death, the mayor announced last week that police are suspending the use of these no-knock search warrants.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
