UPDATE: We've now received word that Detective Myles Cosgrove's employment is being terminated, presumably due to political pressures being applied to the LMPD Chief of Police and the Mayor of Louisville. In the termination letter, Myles' actions were labeled as inconsistent with the Department's "training, values, and policy." Evidently, the Department's "training, values, and policy," in this case, don't account for the psychological trigger of being fired upon from within a dark apartment, the chaos of witnessing a fellow officer go down, and the reaction that specific situation could illicit, all of which occurred within a split matter of seconds. With the decision to terminate his employment comes consequences that now steep Myles' entire family in various hardships: the benefits of emotional therapy for the family's mental health that were being provided by the force are now gone, the loss of the family's health insurance amidst a global pandemic, the receiving of even more death threats to the family, the potential loss of Myles' retirement benefits, attorney fees, and now the trouble of seeking new employment due to the media's campaign against the Cosgrove name. Needless to say, this crowdfunding campaign must expand from its original intent and we are now updating this page with financial concern as to where this all may lead not just Myles, but his family who have all been placed in harm's way, directly and indirectly. Thank you to all those who have donated already. Please share this page for more exposure. God bless you all.
ORIGINAL POST: The family of Detective Myles Cosgrove, an officer involved in the tragic Breonna Taylor case, is starting this fund in order to help secure the safety of Myles and his immediate family going forward. It has recently become clear that it will be impossible for Myles to safely return to his position serving the community with the Louisville Metro Police Department. We hope to raise enough funds to help him purchase the remainder of his service time, or “air-time,” so that he can retire from the LMPD and continue to focus on the safety of his family, a family that has been put continually at-risk over the past few months.
While it’s imperative to listen to each and every one of our city’s voices at this cultural moment, we would like to highlight an important note, a simple exercise in understanding: Most people simply don’t understand what it’s like to be a police officer in America today. Most people don’t know what it’s like, as a career, to put your life on the line on the daily basis to simply serve and protect your community. Most people don’t know what it’s like to have a weapon fired at you. Even fewer know what it’s like, after all of that, to have the entire world turn on you with pure vitriol for simply performing your job exactly as you were trained to do by your superiors. We ask that you take a moment of empathy to place yourself in that position, think about what it would be like for yourself, and now consider what Myles and his family are going through.
Both professionally and in his personal life, Myles has always had a desire to help people. No matter the color of your skin, your gender, or your socio-economic background, if you reached out to Myles, he would be there to support you. This can be attested to by many people. Before the police force, Myles served as a United States Marine and was honorably discharged after his service. He has selflessly served this country and his communities, again and again, for the past 23 years, only to find himself the target of a meticulous campaign of disinformation.
The media oftentimes intentionally leaves out important details with regards to this specific case. They have, in a sense, lied by omission on many occasions. On social media, even more blatant lies about the facts have become harmfully widespread and numerous. Unfortunately, this has all resulted in a perpetual, nightmarish reality for Myles and his family. They have personally received countless threats. Myles’ reputation has been completely dismantled and the psychological trauma is something that he will have to cope with for the rest of his life. Every day, the threats seem more legitimate and scarier; his family has been doxed and harassed, while the threats remain unrelenting. Although Myles may never feel completely safe again, if you can help us reach our goal, we can at least get him on a path to security and allow him to focus on his main objective: the safety of his family.
