#Louisville taps first black woman to run police department after Breonna Taylor shooting

Enlarge Image

Interim Louisville Police Chief Yvette Gentry
Louisville Police

The mayor of Louisville has named the first black woman to lead the Kentucky city’s police force as it grapples with ongoing civil unrest over the killing of Breonna Taylor.

Yvette Gentry will serve as interim chief of the Louisville Metro Police Department beginning Oct. 1, Mayor Greg Fischer announced. Gentry had previously worked in the department and rose the ranks to deputy chief before retiring in 2014.

Gentry said she’ll be stepping down from her current gigs at the nonprofits Rajon Rondo Foundation and Metro United Way to take lead the city’s police at a critical juncture, she said.

“I am returning to the high-stress law-enforcement field in large part to help lead a call to action for those willing to do the work it takes to heal our city – and provide truth so we can have reconciliation, and create a system of justice rooted in equity,” Gentry said in a statement.

Taylor, a 26-year-old  black EMT worker, was fatally shot in March when Louisville cops executed a botched “no-knock” search warrant at her house.

Her shooting, like the Minneapolis police killing of  George Floyd, has sparked protests across the country, with her name becoming a rallying cry for justice.

Gentry will be the first woman to head the troubled LMPD in its 200-plus year history and the third person to run the force since Taylor’s killing.

Gentry is only interested in serving on an interim basis until a new chief is picked, according to Fischer’s office.

“Yvette brings the unparalleled experience and strong community relationships needed to lead LMPD until a permanent Chief is in place,” the Fischer said in a statement, “and she is passionate about working to help her city address systemic racism and reimagine public safety.”

Gentry will start on Sept. 14, when she will work alongside the department’s current interim chief, Rob Schroeder, to learn the ropes. Schroeder plans to retire when Gentry takes over at the beginning of October.