Newly released video shows Louisville police throwing drinks at residents
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WTVQ) — Newly released video shows two Louisville Metro police officers filming themselves throwing slushies at West Louisville residents on multiple occasions.
The cell phone videos, obtained by ABC affiliate WHAS through an open records request, show the two unknown officers throwing drinks at residents in unmarked LMPD cruisers. The incidents that took place between August 2018 and September 2019 have become known as “slushygate.”
In October 2022, former LMPD officers Bryan Wilson and Curt Flynn pleaded guilty to federal charges of violating the rights of West Louisville residents through arbitrary use of force.
Their charges stemmed from their involvement in the incidents, although it’s unclear if they are the same officers in the video.
The two men were part of LMPD’s former 9th Mobile Division, which replaced the VIPER Unit in 2015.
Court documents said Wilson and Flynn drove around in unmarked LMPD vehicles with large drinks. Once they spotted a target, records showed Flynn would slow down near the sidewalk so Wilson could throw the drink at different people.
Federal prosecutors said the pair would often record or have others record their actions on video using their cell phones – sometimes from inside the car or from an LMPD vehicle following closely behind the car in which the drink was thrown and shared with other 9th Mobile Division officers.
In some incidents, the officers could be heard on police radio saying, “Someone was thirsty” or “Thirsty fam,” before speeding off. In at least one case, the victim was knocked to the ground from the impact, according to WHAS.
On Tuesday, LMPD sent out a statement addressing the videos saying:
“It is understandable that the videos of the drink throwing incidents from 2018-2019 are upsetting and disturbing to the public. The incidents are a painful part of LMPD’s history. For context, the individuals responsible for throwing the drinks faced federal prosecution and others that were involved are no longer employed by LMPD and/or have been disciplined. The department has implemented reforms that emphasize constitutional policing while rebuilding community trust.”
