The FBI is investigating whether a group of Louisville Metro Police Department officers threw snowcones at bystanders while driving around the West End.
The allegations were brought to light by Metro Council Public Safety Chair Jessica Green (D-1) at a committee meeting Wednesday afternoon. LMPD Chief Erika Shields confirmed the investigation, but said she had few other details.
Shields said the FBI has given her the names of two officers potentially involved in the incident and both have been placed on “desk duty.” She did not provide the names.
She said the investigation is “another black eye” for a troubled police department.
“It’s going to show some very, very poor judgement by a select few individuals in this department,” Shields said.
It’s currently unclear whether the incident was recorded or who the alleged victims are.
During the meeting, Green said she understood the incident was captured on video. She also said the snowcones were aimed at “homeless black people in west Louisville.” Shields did not directly confirm those details.
Green called the allegations “sickening” and “disgusting.”
“I hope that nobody makes excuses for that kind of behavior and I hope that that’s the kind of thing that is dealt with with the kind of swiftness and seriousness that the behavior justifies,” Green said.
A spokesperson for the FBI’s Louisville field office confirmed that it is looking into whether the officers’ actions violated federal law. They declined to share any details of the ongoing investigation, including when the alleged incident occurred and how many officers were involved.
An LMPD spokesperson declined to comment further on the allegations.
This story has been updated.
