Black Lives Matter: Where is Myles Cosgrove now? LMPD cop who fatally shot Breonna Taylor set up retirement fund
The deadly shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky is another example of justice not delivered. Three officers were involved in the events that night but only one was ever indicted. The events of that night aren't exactly clear, but we do know this – three officers forced themselves into Taylor's home and she died in the resulting gunfight. Did it have to go so far? Maybe not, but the fact remains that only one officer faces consequences.
Myles Cosgrove, another officer with the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officer was fired, but never indicted for his actions. None of the three have been charged with Taylor's death either, further enraging activists and her family. Today, we look into the story of Myles Cosgrove, and how he went from being a once-popular narcotics officer to being implicated in a deadly shooting.
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To be clear, Cosgrove did face consequences. He was fired from the LMPD but appears not to have shown any remorse for his actions. He has since written an email criticizing the city's leadership and the police department. Here's his story and what he has been doing since being fired.
Cosgrove showed signs of trouble
Cosgrove joined the LMPD in May 2005, after reportedly serving as a Marine. From the beginning, he seemed like a dedicated and caring officer, earning multiple commendations over the years. According to Conan Daily, between 2006 and 2016 he earned 10 commendations. He also had 18 letters of commendation during the same period. However, very early into his time as a cop, Cosgrove ran into trouble. In December 2006, he was suspended after shooting 11 times at a car at a Speedway gas station in Louisville’s East End. While the shooting was being investigated, he was placed on administrative leave. When the judge ruled that he had sufficient cause to pull over the vehicle, he was reinstated in May 2007.
In 2009, he received a written reprimand after he was accused of "making very unprofessional comments" to a community member. Then in May 2013, he was suspended for a day after skipping a court hearing. That behavior wasn't new. In 2010, then-chief Robert White reprimanded him for his poor court attendance, saying Cosgrove’s conduct "warrants discipline." In 2018, he received another reprimand for failing to file an incident report in 2017.
Despite this troubling history, Cosgrove was also praised for his performance on the job. In 2016, he was credited for deescalating a situation involving a man who was firing at responding officers. Performances like those overshadowed his reprimands, and he was quickly promoted to LMPD’s narcotics division in November 2016. That is where Detective Cosgrove worked the night of Taylor's shooting.
Response to firing
In September 2020, a grand jury declined to indict Cosgrove on the charge of "wanton endangerment", and no further charges were pressed. However, on January 5, 2021, he was fired by the LMPD for "violating department policy". A federal report alleged that the bullet that killed Taylor came from Cosgrove's gun, but that did not factor into the LMPD's decision.
As if anticipating the firing, in October 2020 it was found Cosgrove had set up a fund for his retirement on the website GiveSetGo. Cosgrove is seeking $75,000 and the fund is still open. The page says, "With the decision to terminate his employment comes consequences that now steep Myles' entire family in various hardships." It has so far raised $60,722. The money will reportedly fund his buyout for the remainder of his service time.
Cosgrove also reportedly sent an email to all his colleagues in late December when was served with a pre-termination letter. According to WDRB, he wrote, "It seems our higher-ranking officials will support us in our efforts to protect ourselves and others, just as long as there isn't a group of protestors or political pressures demanding otherwise." He added, "You will be demonized, while criminals will be canonized. You will make the smaller paycheck, while others settle with the city and profit millions."
Cosgrove isn't entirely out of the woods. The FBI is still investigating the shooting and could charge Cosgrove with a violation of constitutional rights. If found guilty, he could face a life imprisonment sentence. But until the report comes in, Cosgrove is a free man. What has he been up to since? It's hard to tell. Like with most other cops in such cases, Cosgrove seems to have disappeared. He has no social media presence and hasn't really been spotted in public since.
It's unclear if he has taken another job, or if he has moved away from Louisville. Wherever he is and whatever he is doing, he is living a free man while Taylor's family continues their fight for justice.