A suspect has been arrested after a man was shot dead during a protest in the US state of Kentucky over the
police killing of Breonna Taylor, police said.
Tyler Charles Gerth, 27, died after being shot at Jefferson Square Park in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday.
A crowd had gathered at the park to protest against the March 13 death of Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman who was shot eight times by police officers who burst into her home using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation.
No drugs were found at Taylor’s home.
Video footage captured at the scene of the incident appeared to show the suspect surrounded by several people before shots were fired, sending those in the area scrambling for cover.
In another video, one man can be seen bleeding on the floor, surrounded by frantic
protesters urging bystanders to call emergency services.In a statement, Louisville Metro police said there were reports of shots fired in Jefferson Square Park at around 9pm on Saturday.
They added that Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department had tried to resuscitate a man who later died. Another victim was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
The suspect was admitted to hospital and is being interviewed by investigators, interim Louisville Police Chief Robert Schroeder said.
“He had been repeatedly asked by other members at the park to leave due to his destructive behaviour,” said Schroeder.
The
shooting on Saturday was at least the second during nearly a month of
protests in Louisville over the death of Taylor, PA media reported.
It came after the city’s mayor announced one of the three officers involved in her death will be fired. Many Black Lives Matter protesters have called for the police who killed Taylor to be arrested, especially in the wake of the arrest of former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin, who killed George Floyd in May – sparking huge demonstrations worldwide. Related... George Floyd Died A Month Ago. There Have Been Protests Every Day Since Man Dies After Being Shot At US Protest Against Police Killing Of Breonna Taylor Hundreds Join Protests To Mark The First Anniversary Of Shukri Abdi's Death