Ex-Louisville cop involved in protest shooting pleads guilty

A former Louisville police officer has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of using excessive force during the Breonna Taylor protests.

Katie R. Crews pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to a misdemeanor charge of excessive force. The charge carries a maximum of one year in prison.

Crews fired nonlethal pepper balls into David McAtee's restaurant just after midnight on June 1, 2020.

A lawsuit from McAtee's family says Crews instigated a conflict that led to his death. He was shot by a National Guard member after firing a shot out his kitchen door.

Crews was dismissed in February.


PHOTO: This image provided by the Louisville Metro Police Department shows former Louisville Metro Police officer Katie R. Crews in riot gear following the fatal shooting of a barbecue restaurant owner on June 1, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. Crews pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2022, to a federal charge of using excessive force during curfew enforcement the night of McAtee’s death. (Louisville Metro Police Department via AP)