Six police officers in the Louisville, Kentucky, police department are under internal investigation for their roles in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor in March, the Courier Journal reported.
The case is separate from the investigation being looked at by Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron to decide whether any of the officers will face criminal charges in the no-knock warrant that left the emergency medical worker dead in her apartment in the middle of the night on March 13.
The announcement comes as officials in Kentucky's largest city were preparing Tuesday for more protests and possible unrest as the public nervously awaits the attorney general's announcement about whether he will charge the officers in Taylor's death.
With timing of the announcement still uncertain, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer declared a state of emergency due to the potential for civil unrest, hours after police said they would restrict access in the city's downtown area. The mayor and police said they were trying to plan ahead of time to protect both demonstrators and the people who live and work there.
Taylor, a Black emergency medical worker, was shot multiple times March 13 by officers who entered her home using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation. The warrant used was connected to a suspect who did not live there, and no drugs were found inside. The use of no-knock warrants has since been banned by Louisville's Metro Council.
Large protests over Taylor's death that at times became violent erupted in late May in the city but most demonstrations since then have been peaceful. Celebrities, athletes, activists and Taylor's family have for months pushed Cameron to criminally charge the officers involved in the raid.
Last week, the city of Louisville settled a lawsuit from Taylor's family for $12 million and pledged several police reforms as part of the agreement.
Meanwhile, an officer who was shot in the leg by Taylor's boyfriend the night police entered her apartment wrote an email to fellow officers telling them that with their actions, Fischer and top police officials had "failed all of us in epic proportions."
In the email, published by news outlets Tuesday and confirmed by his attorney, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly wrote, "I know we did the legal, moral and ethical thing that night."
Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, told police he fired one round after Taylor's door was broken down and Mattingly entered. Walker said he did not know police were at the door.
Referring to protesters, Mattingly added that police officers should not be in a position "that allows thugs to get in your face and yell, curse and degrade you."
His attorney, Kent Wicker, told The Associated Press in an email that Mattingly's email was "expressing his support for (fellow officers) and their work during these difficult times."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.