Louisville BBQ Restaurant Owner Fatally Shot By Police During Breonna Taylor Protest, Police Chief Fired

Louisville BBQ Restaurant Owner Fatally Shot By Police During Breonna Taylor Protest, Police Chief Fired

A protest has, once again, turned deadly in response to the tragic murder of 26-year-old Louisville woman, Breonna Taylor. David McAtee, known Louisville-area cook and owner of YaYa’s BBQ – was shot by police on Monday ( 6/1/20) morning. Both David McAtee and his mother Odessa Riley were among the crowd of hundreds in a recent demonstration for slain EMT Breonna Taylor, when local police and the National Guard were enforced a local curfew. The area was on 26th and Broadway near Dino’s Food Mart – where David McAtee would normally set up a food cart. This is how his mother, Odessa, described David:

“[He was a] community pillar. He left a great legend behind. He was a good person. Everybody around him would say that. My son didn’t hurt nobody. He didn’t do nothing to nobody.”

The BBQ joint owner was tragically shot and killed after gunshots rang out, and police “returned fire,” according to LMPD Chief Steve Conrad. However, as found under local, state, and federal investigation – the officers who opened fire and the police chief involved did not have their body cameras activated during the incident. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer commented and announced the chief’s termination:

“This type of institutional failure will not be tolerated. Accordingly, I have relieved Steve Conrad of his duties as chief of Louisville Metro Police Department.”

The two officers involved have been placed on administrative leave.

Assistant Chief of Police Robert Schroeder added:

“The two officers that fired their weapons violated our policy by either not wearing or not activating their cameras. That is completely unacceptable and there is no excuse…We will review the entire incident to determine if there are any other policy violations that occurred. I assure you we will follow up and there will be discipline for failing to utilize our cameras.”

David McAtee was known to cater many community events and often donated meals. Ironically, the YaYa’s BBQ owner would frequently feed law enforcement for free. Mayor Fischer added:

“David was a friend to many, well known, barbecue man. “[He] had nurtured so many people in their bellies, in their hearts before, and for him to be caught up in this and for him not to be with us today is a tragedy that is just hard to put into words…We are asking people to trust a process that they don’t trust. And the roots of that mistrust are in the history of our country. I think that’s where again people need to have empathy for African American citizens when they say, ‘Well, just follow the process.’ The process hasn’t worked out so well. So I’m hoping that this new time of heightened awareness in our community — in our country — about these issues, we can address many of these issues.”

As a result of the shooting, the Louisville assistant police chief says the department will release video and audio from the incident in order for full transparency with the community.

Rest in peace, David McAtee. Prayers for his family and love ones.