The Only Witness Who Heard Police Announce Themselves at Breonna Taylor's Door Changed His Story

[Tactical Peek]

Source: Vice News


The Only Witness Who Heard Police Announce Themselves at Breonna Taylor’s Door Changed His Story

Aarin Sarpee initially told investigators that he didn't hear police say who they were before ramming through Taylor's door. Two months later, he drastically changed his recollection.

by Roberto Ferdman

When Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced this week that no charges would be brought in direct connection with Breonna Taylor’s death, he underscored that the officers executing the search warrant that night did identify themselves at Taylor’s door, pointing to a witness who corroborated the officers’ version of events.

But, according to audio and documents obtained by VICE News, that same witness changed his story in the months following the deadly raid.

The witness is Aarin Sarpee, who was picking up his daughter from his brother’s apartment above Taylor’s at the time of the raid. According to officers’ interviews with investigators, Sarpee got into an argument with Detective Brett Hankison as the officers were banging on Taylor’s door.

The interviews were conducted by LMPD’s Public Integrity Unit (PIU), which investigates officer-involved shootings. According to the Public Integrity Unit’s investigative file, LMPD investigators spoke to Sarpee on the phone twice in the ensuing months. On March 21, a week after the shooting, Sgt. Jason Vance asked Sarpee directly if he heard anyone identify themselves as police. Sarpee responded, “No, nobody identified themselves.”


Read more: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/bv8qyd/breonna-taylor-investigation-witness-changes-story

[no_hypocrisy]

1. That settles it. The Grand Jury Minutes have to be released.

If that exculpating evidence was withheld from the GJ and that would have influenced their decision not to indict the three plainclothes officers. This is big.

[progressive nobody]

2. Such an Ass! I hope his conscious will not let him have peace.

[marble falls]

7. I'm not saying that until I know how many times the cops called him and what pressures they ...

put on him. He could be another victim of typical cop violence or threats of violence.

[EndlessWire]

24. Yes

I know first hand how cops can harass you, and cause you to be harassed, if they don't get what they want. Sometimes I think that only someone who has been through something can understand the disruption and stress it can cause in someone's life.

We need a thorough house cleaning.

[Hekate]

9. Sounds to me like he got pressured by the cops. I won't judge without more info.

[Midnight Writer]

3. They did this same stunt in Michael Brown's murder.

They put a "witness" before the grand Jury who was proven not to be in the area.

She supported the police story that Brown was charging the officer.

The State's Attorney knew at the time this witness was a phony, but put her on the stand anyway, because he felt the Grand Jury "should hear everything".

Of course, in a Grand Jury proceeding, no one represents the opposing view.

The results were predictable.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

15. jeeezus

“Should hear everything”.... everything they have a mind to make up, that is. Jeeezzzuss H Krist, disgusting.

[Hip2bSquare]

4. They probably threatened him

I would bet they threatened him with something. He has a daughter and police have been known to threaten witnesses.

[Ligyron]

5. Wait, if he's on a different floor entirely, how was he was able to hear a damn thing?

Of course he couldn't, so I think we know what's going on here.

[spudspud]

6. They were probably balcony units. /nt

[niyad]

8. And from an outside, upstairs balcony, you could hear a front door?

Last edited Sat Sep 26, 2020, 09:49 PM - Edit history (1)

[spudspud]

20. When I lived in those type of apartment buildings...

you could hear everything people were saying above and below you, short of whispering.

[niyad]

21. And do you know for a fact that this complex has balconies?

[spudspud]

23. No, that's why I said it was "probably" a balcony type unit.

[Ligyron]

12. Ah, okay makes sense...

Thanks.

[wnylib]

10. Plus there is the 911 tape. I heard it played

on a news program. Her boyfriend clearly says in the tape that someone broke into her apartment and shot her. He did not say "police." He called to report a break in and, as far as he knew at the moment, an attempted murder.

I also heard yesterday an interview with a member of a Louisville police organization (union?). His tone sounded very smug and unbending in defending the actions of the officers who killed Breonna. Followed the law and protocol, etc. When asked about releasing the grand jury transcript, he said it could not be done because there is a civil suit pending. Is there? Didn't Louisville already make a civil settlement with her family? Would a jury in a civil suit be allowed to have a grand jury transcript?

Governor Beshear is the one who openly called for release of the transcript. He is a former state AG. Surely he knows the law on this.

It sure looks like Louisville police are hiding something that needs to be made public.

[Ramsey Barner]

11. Since when do the police announce themselves with "This is the cops"?

"Police" or "Louisville Police," sure, but “This is the cops”?

[Mr.Bill]

13. What kind of people would want to cover-up a murder of an innocent woman?

The police. That's what kind of people. Never forget that.

[Snackshack]

14. "This is the cops"

Really?

[safeinOhio]

16. Every department has that one cop

that all most all the others hate. Even the Brass, Courts and prosecutors hate. He’s the only one that goes by the book. He will write the chief a ticket for going 5 over. He will tell the truth in reports and on the stand. No favors and no breaks. The only one that honors the oath he took when he got that job.

Be nice if that one cop would pop up now.

[bdamomma]

17. I don't know how true this is:

but I heard the person the Police were after lived 10 blocks away from Breonna. Wrong identity.

[DallasNE]

18. Partially True

The police were looking for Breonna's ex-boyfriend and had warrants for 4 different locations, including hers. They found him at one of the other locations.

Indeed, Breonna and her new boyfriend thought it was likely her ex-boyfriend banging on the door. They asked several times "who is it" and didn't hear a response back.

[niyad]

22. They found the former boyfriend! not only at a different location, but much earlier in the day

Last edited Sun Sep 27, 2020, 07:53 AM - Edit history (1)

[2naSalit]

19. Probably ought to see if they...

Just got a new car, house, vacation, jewelry, some change in lifestyle, habits of a more well funded individual all of a sudden.

[DeminPennswoods]

25. Just read that the KY Atty General said

they could not match the bullet that killed Taylor to Hankinson's gun, or presumably any of the officers' or her boyfriend's guns. It seems to me many, many people who kill or commit assault with a gun are convicted by ballistics labs able to match a bullet to a specific gun. But in this case, the ballistics lab couldn't do that? Sounds fishy to me.