Louisville Metro Police have now had more shootings involving officers this year than all of last year, following a fatal shooting Wednesday night in Shawnee.
Officers fatally shot 42-year-old Isaac Jackson after he threw a knife and injured one officer. The incident marks the fifth police shooting this year. Last year, there was a total of four shootings involving LMPD officers.
Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad said the frequency of shootings is concerning, and makes officers and the community anxious.
“Across the nation I believe there is a systematic problem that needs to be addressed, and I think it is a challenge for us all,” Conrad said. “Addressing violence, pursuing equal justice, ensuring our neighborhoods are safe — we at the LMPD see these challenges the community is facing, and we recognize that we are part of this community. And we are willing to do everything we can to address these issues moving forward.”
Conrad said recently there have been comments on social media that he perceives as threatening, prompting changes to how officers respond to calls.
“We have seen a number of comments on social media that appear, to me, to be threats to our officers," said Conrad. "As a result of that information, what we have done is implemented a plan where two officers will respond to each call for service.”
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said the frequency of shootings raises questions. Fischer said officials will continue to be transparent and share body camera footage with the public.
"We’re going to continue the training that we have in de-escalation techniques and we’re going to continue to appreciate the jobs our police officers do," he said.
Conrad said the officer injured in Thursday night's incident was treated and released from the hospital, and is now on administrative leave from LMPD.
