LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As part of a new initiative, Louisville’s Civilian Review and Accountability Board holds meetings and aims to make them more accessible to the community.

What You Need To Know

  • As part of a new initiative, Louisville’s Civilian Review and Accountability Board holds meetings and aims to make them more accessible to the community

  • This meeting on Wednesday, they released infomation exonerating the five officers involved the shooting after Dirt Bowl wrapped up Shawnee Park in 2022

  • The justice department will hold a community meeting to gain feedback on consent decree

  • The DOJ community meeting is on April 8 at 6 p.m. at Republic Bank Foundation YMCA

Former Mayor Greg Fischer, D-Louisville, established the Office of Inspector General along with the Civilian Review and Accountability Board in 2020 to increase transparency and oversight of the Louisville Metro Police Department.

Their work creates a new layer of independent review for LMPD, like the one discussed during Wednesday afternoon’s meeting involving the shooting after the Dirt Bowl wrapped up Shawnee Park in 2022.

Inspector General Edward Harness said the officers are exonerated.

“We did make some minor recommendations regarding consideration for effecting an arrest with a crowd, with someone who had, was known to be armed some of those considerations. But overall, we found that the officers acted within policy,” Harness said.

In July 2022, LMPD approached the man who they said was “known to have warrants.” The man, identified by police later as 30-year-old Herbert Lee, fired at an officer, hitting him once. At that time, LMPD put five officers involved in the incident on paid administrative leave.

As part of the investigation, Harness said an external group analyzed the body camera footage 

“By a third-party forensic video group, to ensure that, the aspects of the weapon were true, which, this analysis, revealed that it was that he did have a weapon and that he did fire at the officers,” Harness said.

Regarding the discussion on the consent decree, he said while he’s not part of the negotiations between the City of Louisville and the U.S. Department of Justice, he’s anticipating community concerns when a public meeting takes place.

“Based upon the findings letter and what some of the recommendations were for the cure. And those involved, better transparency and civilian oversight, as recommendations for LMPD. I anticipate the consent decree will follow up on that and will greater empower our agency,” Harness said.

He explains the negotiations have been intense the last couple of weeks. As a result, the justice department will hold a community meeting to gain feedback.

The DOJ community meeting is on April 8 at 6 p.m. at Republic Bank Foundation YMCA.

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