Louisville mayor fires police chief

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer on Monday announced that LMPD Chief Steve Conrad has been fired.

Sunday marked the fourth straight night of citywide protests -- some of them violent through the weekend. And early Monday morning, LMPD and National Guard officers were called to the area of 26th and Broadway to disperse a large crowd that had gathered near Yaya’s BBQ Shack. LMPD said shots were fired at them, and they returned fire, leaving the popular restaurant owner, David McAtee, dead at age 53.

An emotional Fischer announced Monday that there was no officer body camera video of the shooting.

“That lack of institutional failure will not be tolerated,” Fischer said as he announced Conrad’s termination, effective immediately. Robert Schroeder will serve as interim police chief.

“I am saddened that it took this much calamity in our city to remove the chief of police,” Metro Council President David James said Monday.

Protesters organized to honor Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old former EMT who was shot dead when LMPD officers served a narcotics warrant at her home in March. The three officers, still employed at LMPD, didn’t have their body cameras on in that case, either.

The LMPD officers involved in the McAtee shooting were identified as Katie Crews and Austin Allen. Per department protocol, they’ve both been placed on administrative reassignment.