Kentucky police shooting video raises questions on tactics

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The shooting of a popular Kentucky barbecue cook by law enforcement has raised new questions about use of force practices after police released videos of the clash this week.

Louisville Metro Police and National Guard soldiers have said they were in the area responding to a reports of a crowd gathering near David McAtee’s eatery early Monday morning, miles away from downtown protests. Police said McAtee fired at officers, who returned fire, but video evidence suggests law enforcement officials were firing pepper balls at the restaurant before McAtee fired his weapon.

The Louisville Metro Police Department’s use of force policy, obtained this week by The Associated Press, says: “While the use of reasonable physical force may be necessary in situations that cannot be otherwise controlled, force may not be resorted to unless other reasonable alternatives have been exhausted or would reasonably be ineffective under the particular circumstances.”

Louisville Police spokeswoman Jessie Halladay said Friday that inquiries about use of force are “questions we expect to be answered during our investigation into the incident.” She declined further comment.

The National Guard was in the city to help enforce a 9 p.m. curfew amid protests spurred by the deaths of George Floyd in Minnesota and Louisville native Breonna Taylor. Taylor was shot by Louisville detectives serving a warrant in her home in March.

A video released by Louisville Police on Tuesday appears to show McAtee firing a gun from the door of his restaurant as officers shot projectiles. Video from a different camera posted outside the building shows a beverage container on a table outside the door exploding and falling to the ground just before smoke emerges from inside the building where McAtee was standing.

That video shows...