Officer alleges discrimination over opinion on Breonna Taylor's case

In 2020, during protests related to the death of Breonna Taylor, a Kentucky police officer named Robinson Desroches was shot while on duty. Following the incident, Desroches expressed his belief that he was targeted because of the police's actions in the Breonna Taylor case, which sparked widespread unrest after a grand jury declined to indict the officers involved in her shooting. In a lawsuit filed in Jefferson County in late November 2024, Desroches claims that he faced discrimination from his superiors within the Louisville Police Department after sharing his views regarding race and police conduct, suggesting that Black officers who speak against the department's actions are treated harshly. While recovering from his injuries, which included a serious bullet wound to the stomach, he was given a temporary role in the recruitment department, but later faced pressure to participate in activities promoting the department that he felt misrepresented his experience. Desroches declined these offers, leading to a deterioration in his standing within the department. He seeks both punitive and compensatory damages as he believes that his position as a Black officer who publicly criticized the department contributed to a hostile work environment and retaliation against him. The officer who shot him, Larynzo Johnson, was subsequently sentenced to 13 years in prison for his actions. This case highlights ongoing issues of discrimination, race relations, and the perceptions of law enforcement practices in the United States, particularly regarding how criticism from within the ranks can be met with retaliation.