Ex-officer involved in 2020 protest shooting avoids prison

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – A former Louisville police officer blamed for instigating a deadly shooting during the 2020 Breonna Taylor protests has been sentenced to two years of probation.

Katie Crews pleaded guilty last year to using excessive force.

During a curfew enforcement at the height of the protests, she fired pepper balls into a crowd and restaurant, leading to an exchange of gunfire and the killing of David McAtee.

Federal judge Benjamin Beaton on Monday called Crews’ actions “incredibly dangerous.”

He doubled a one-year recommended probation period to two years.

McAtee’s death furthered the anger of protesters who had been protesting over the death of Taylor.