Breonna Taylor case: Detective who fired fatal shot starts fundraiser for his retirement

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The detective who fired the shot that killed Breonna Taylor in March wants to buy the rest of his service time so that he can retire from the Louisville Metro Police Department, according to an online fundraiser launched by his family.

Myles Cosgrove’s family wants to raise $75,000 so that he can focus on the safety of his family “that has been put continually at risk over the past few months,” according to a campaign on Givesendgo.com, a “Christian crowdfunding site.”

“It has recently become clear that it will be impossible for Myles to safely return to his position serving the community with the Louisville Metro Police Department,” the family wrote on the fundraiser page.

As of late Tuesday evening, the page reported it had received more than $16,600.

Last week, a Kentucky grand jury declined to bring homicide charges against Cosgrove, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Brett Hankison. Taylor, 26, was killed in her Louisville apartment on March 13.

The grand jury indicted Hankison on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment for opening fire on Taylor’s apartment from outside.

Cosgrove and Mattingly are on administrative leave while separate internal and FBI investigations are being conducted, NBC News reported. Mattingly was wounded during the raid.

Jarrod Beck, an attorney for Cosgrove, confirmed to CNN that the page was set up by members of Cosgrove’s family but declined to comment further. The founder of GiveSendGo, Jacob Wells, confirmed to NBC News that the campaign was created by Cosgrove’s immediate family and that proceeds would go to them.

“The result of that night was tragic for all involved, that is obvious,” Cosgrove’s family wrote on its fundraising page. They urged people to “listen to each and every one of our city’s voices at this cultural moment” in a “safe and rational” conversation.

However, the family wrote, “Safety has proven difficult to come by for Myles and his family and we are, at this point, emotionally concerned for all parties involved.”

The campaign was first reported by the Louisville Courier-Journal.

Cox Media Group