FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday the National Guard presence in Louisville will be reduced after a fatal shooting involving police and guard members "returning fire" while enforcing curfew early Monday.
Watch the briefing live in the player below:
Beshear said Kentucky State Police are investigating after Louisville Metro Police and National Guard members shot and killed David McAtee after protests in Louisville Sunday night. Authorities said police and guard members had been fired upon in a parking lot while trying to disperse a crowd just after midnight.
MORE: Beshear: KSP investigating after Louisville officers, National Guard kill unarmed man
A preliminary autopsy found McAtee died of a single gunshot wound to the chest, according to Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Sec. J. Michael Brown on Tuesday. He also said new video from "external" and "internal" sources have been released by Louisville Metro Police for review by KSP.
Brown said that at this time, it is believed that LMPD and the National Guard fired 18 shots during the incident. Weapons used by the National Guard and officers during the shooting have been taken in for investigation.
"Our goal is to get all of the facts, get them quickly, and be able to present, as much as possible, clearer determination of what happened ... shortly after midnight on June 1," Brown said.
"If there were mistakes, we'll own up to them," Beshear said of the National Guard's presence in Louisville in recent days. Over 350 guard members were activated Saturday after protests against police brutality and racism began in Louisville Friday.
On Monday, Police Chief Steve Conrad announced that police had turned off body cameras during the incident, an action Beshear called "unacceptable." Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer fired Conrad on the same day, though Conrad was already set to retire this month.
Beshear also addressed the state's COVID-19 response at his press briefing Tuesday. So far, Kentucky has seen 10,185 positive cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic arrived in the state in March, and there have been 442 virus-related reported deaths as of Tuesday.
The state has been able to test 253,585 people for the virus, and more than 3,200 people have recovered.
You can find a complete list of COVID-19 testing sites here.
