LOUISVILLE, Ky. — After the former chief of the Louisville Metro Police Department agreed with the finding in the Department of Justice's damning report, some wonder if he will face criminal consequences for his comments.
Steve Conrad served as LMPD's police chief for eight years before he was fired in June 2020.
Former Justice Secretary, J. Michael Brown says Conrad will not be charged for his deposition responses.
He said it's mainly because Conrad was asked about the DOJ's overall findings and not about a specific incident. The former chief noted that while he couldn't point to any incidents, it's not unlikely they occurred.
"But at the end of the day, there's no question that he acknowledges and has no doubts that the findings of this report are accurate, Brown said.
He adds that he is deeply saddened by the deposition, especially since he worked alongside Conrad and LMPD.
Brown says Conrad not only acknowledged that the police department violated residents' civil rights, but he also sounded regretful.
Since the former LMPD chief accepts the DOJ's findings, Brown believes everyone else should do the same and strive to do better.
He says that includes law enforcement and city leaders owning up to their mistakes, and taking immediate action to fix them.
"If the city of Louisville cares about public safety and fixing these problems, then they need to allocate the funds to do that," Brown said.
Brown wants the funding to help train police and professional staff and ensure management at any level within LMPD is being held accountable.
WHAS11 also sent Conrad's comments to former Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. In a statement, his spokesperson said Fischer hasn't seen the deposition yet, adding:
"[Fishcer's] administration cooperated fully with the DOJ investigation, viewing it as an opportunity to honor the pain from the tragedy led up to it, and an opportunity for LMPD to improve, embrace reform, and become a model for police departments across the country. ushering in a new, more equitable era of public safety."
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