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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Louisville Metro Police Sgt. Jon Mattingly, who led the March 13 raid into Breonna Taylor’s apartment, wrote in an early-morning email that officers “did the legal, moral and ethical thing that night.”

Besides defending the raid, in which police shot and killed Taylor, Mattingly criticized Mayor Greg Fischer and former Chief Steve Conrad, saying they “have failed us all in epic proportions for their own gain and to cover their asses.”

And he called some protesters “thugs” who curse at and throw urine and bricks at officers.

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“It’s sad how the good guys are demonized, and criminals are canonized,” Mattingly wrote in an email to all sworn officers sent around 2 a.m. Tuesday and obtained by WDRB News.

His attorney, Kent Wicker, confirmed its authenticity.

“Sgt. Mattingly sent an email to his colleagues last evening, expressing his support for them and their work in these difficult times. As you know, Sgt. Mattingly was shot and severely wounded while serving this warrant. Like our entire community, he is hopeful that this process moves forward quickly, and that his fellow officers and the people of Louisville remain safe.”

 Mattingly, who was hospitalized for three days after being shot in the leg during the raid, also complained that an officer’s mistake during protest duty can prompt an investigation by police commanders and the FBI.

The FBI, Mattingly wrote, “aren’t cops and would piss their pants if they had to hold the line,” according to the email. “Your civil rights mean nothing, but the criminal has total autonomy.”

The FBI is one of the agencies investigating the fatal shooting of Taylor, a Black woman, which has drawn national scrutiny and more than 100 days of protests both locally and across the nation. She was shot five times, according to her death certificate.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron is expected to announce soon whether any charges will be filed against the LMPD officers involved in Taylor’s shooting.

LMPD interim Chief Robert Schroeder declined to comment in detail when asked about the email at a Tuesday morning briefing with reporters downtown.

“That’s a situation that’s currently developing,” he said. “It’s simply too premature at this time to talk about it.”

Police have identified three officers who conducted the raid of Taylor’s apartment – Mattingly, Det. Myles Cosgrove and Det. Brett Hankison – and said they were not wearing body cameras.

Hankison was fired in June. Schroder wrote in a termination letter that Hankison “wantonly and blindly fired 10 rounds” into a patio door and window of Taylor’s apartment, creating a “substantial danger of death and serious injury” to Taylor and three residents of other apartments in the complex near Pleasure Ridge Park.

Her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired at officers when they rushed in. Police have said Walker hit Mattingly in the leg. Walker told police that he thought he and Taylor were being robbed. Walker initially was charged with attempted murder, but the charge has been dismissed.

Suspected drug dealer Jamarcus Glover was the main target of several search warrants in the early morning hours of March 13 – and was taken into custody 10 miles away from Taylor’s apartment — and police have been heavily criticized for the deadly raid of Taylor’s home. No drugs or money were found in her apartment.

In his email, Mattingly apologized to fellow officers, telling them they “DO NOT DESERVE to be in this position. The position that allows thugs to get in your face and yell, curse and degrade you. Throw bricks, bottles and urine on you and expect you to do nothing.”

Mattingly also said police do not care about a person’s skin color or “what you identify as … this week. We aren’t better than anyone. This is not us against society, but it is good versus evil.”

And he said he wished he could be with his fellow officers when the announcement about possible charges is released.

“I wish I were there with you leading the charge,” he wrote. “I’ll be praying for your safety. Remember, you are just a pawn in the mayor’s game. I’m proof they do not care about you or your family, and you are replaceable. Stay safe and do the right thing. YOU ARE LOVED AND SUPPORTED BY MOST OF THE COMMUNITY.”

Mattingly ends the email by telling officers that “none of these ‘peaceful’ protesters are worth your career or freedom.”

Reporter Marcus Green contributed.

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