Owner of Black-Owned BBQ Joint Killed By Louisville Officers Who Had Body Cameras Turned Off

Nationwide — David McAtee, a 53-year old African American entrepreneur who owned a BBQ restaurant in Louisville, KY, and reportedly often fed the police for free, was shot and killed by police officers who were trying to disperse a crowd that had gathered after the city’s curfew hours.

According to Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad, the incident happened when police responded to a call about a large crowd that had gathered near a 24-hour food mart. Conrad said that police were trying to break up the crowd when someone fired a shot at the police. The police fired back and during that exchange, McAtee was fatally wounded. It has not yet been determined, however, if McAtee was the one who fired the shots.

Police Chief Conrad has since been fired. “This type of institutional failure will not be tolerated,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, according to Louisville Courier-Journal.

Two police officers were reportedly involved in the shooting. However, neither of them had their body cameras turned on at that time. Only police radio transmissions and surveillance footage showing officers firing shots at unidentified targets have been released.

Witnesses say the body of McAtee was left by police on the ground for more than 12 hours. Some witnesses have also said that no one near the store was actually protesting at that time.

Meanwhile, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has called for an investigation.

A GoFundMe page in David McAtee’s name has already raised almost $500,000.