Grand Jury will not indict suspect in connection to deadly Shively Animal Clinic shooting - WAVE 3

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - The Jefferson County Grand Jury said no indictment will be issued for a suspect in connection to the deadly shooting at Shively Animal Clinic in May.

The No True Bill was returned for the suspect on Wednesday, stating second-degree manslaughter and reckless homicide charges were considered.

Trent “TJ” Taylor was shot and killed during a disagreement with a pet owner at the Shively Animal Clinic on May 14, according to court documents.

The shooter claimed self-defense in the incident, but Taylor’s family has argued that self-defense is not applicable.

Attorney David Mour, who is representing Taylor’s family, questioned the defense as Taylor was not armed.

“I have a real problem with the application of self-defense here because the young man was not armed with any kind of deadly weapon,” Mour said. “I watched some of the videos apparently he had an orange traffic cone that he was swinging.”

Witnesses told police Taylor had stepped in to protect his co-workers at the animal clinic before he was shot. Reports state more than a dozen people witnessed the incident as it unfolded.

In a report from the Commonwealth’s Attorney, evidence from video and several witness statements claim Taylor initiated “various levels of violence” against a woman before he had been shot.

The report states video also showed Taylor hitting the woman and attacking her spouse, slamming her spouse against a wall and having his arm against her throat.

“The Commonwealth requested that the Grand Jury make a decision regarding whether to issue an indictment after a comprehensive review of Kentucky law and the evidence in the investigation,” the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s statement read. “The Grand Jury’s role in the review of the case is integral as the individual grand jurors provide invaluable community input on cases.”

Soon after the case was filed with the Shively Police Department, it was handed off to the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for review.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Shively Police Department released a statement on the Grand Jury’s decision.

“The Shively Police Department recognizes and respects the Jefferson County Grand Jury’s decision to not issue an indictment in this case. Furthermore, we recognize this is a tragic situation for all involved. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those in the community, and those impacted by this tragedy.”

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