LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A shooting at the Shively Animal Clinic on Mother’s Day continues to stir controversy after a Jefferson County grand jury decided not to indict the shooter on any charges.
Surveillance video from the clinic on Dixie Highway was released by police on Wednesday, showing the moments leading up to the shooting on May 14.
But a local legal expert said Thursday that the grand jury did its job in the case.
The surveillance footage was released just hours after the grand jury’s decision Wednesday. The jury was considering reckless homicide and second-degree manslaughter charges stemming from the shooting.
Because the shooter wasn’t charged with a crime in the shooting, he’s not being identified.
According to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office, evidence in the case showed that she acted in self defense.
Video from the clinic’s lobby shows the woman’s spouse holding her back as she argues with staff members on what police said was a busy night.
That’s when Trent “TJ” Taylor, 21, walks in. He worked at the clinic, and joined the conversation while standing beside his mother.
As the argument heats up, Taylor tosses his medical gloves in a trash can and hits the woman on the head. He then puts his fists up as his head outside, and hits her again.
That’s when the woman pulls out a gun from her bag and shows it to Taylor, who then shoves her with a traffic cone at the entrance to the clinic.
The next moment can only be seen through the door, and show Taylor fighting with the woman’s spouse. Staff members can be seen rushing outside trying to break up the fight when the woman fires her gun.
Taylor died at the hospital.
Louisville attorney Thomas Clay told WDRB News on Thursday that he believes Kentucky’s self-defense statutes were interpreted correctly in the case, and said the jury did its job.
“I know this situation generated a lot of public controversy. It’s difficult, really, for anybody in the public who wasn’t involved in the investigation, or didn’t understand the grand jury function, to appreciate what actually happened here,” said Clay, who has no involvement in the Shively case. “This can be one of those examples where you can cite as a situation where the system actually worked.”
In a statement Wednesday, Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina Whethers said “The evidence in the case demonstrated that Trent (TJ) Taylor was shot and killed after he was the initial aggressor” against the shooter and her spouse, saying she “used deadly force in self defense .”
Following the grand jury’s decision, Taylor’s family said they felt robbed of justice. They plan to pursue a civil case against the shooter.
Clay added that it’s incredibly rare that no charges of any kind are filed after a homicide.
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