Police sergeant embroiled in Breonna Taylor case pulls out of book deal to 'explore other options'

Daniel Cameron responds to Breonna Taylor’s family seeking to reopen case

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron responds to Breonna Taylor’s family’s attorney on ‘Fox & Friends.’

The Louisville police sergeant in Kentucky who fired at Breonna Taylor after being shot during the deadly raid on Taylor’s apartment has pulled out of a publishing deal to “explore other” options.

Months after Simon & Schuster’s refusal to distribute the book, which was still scheduled to be published by Post Hill Press, Louisville Police Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly decided to sever ties with the Nashville, Tennessee-based publishing house. 

The recently retired officer’s tome is titled “The Fight For Truth: The Inside Story Behind the Breonna Taylor Tragedy.” 

“After spending the last year and a half watching the media, celebrities, sports figures, attorneys, and politicians spread blatant lies about the situation without any accountability, I know I must do whatever I can to make sure the true story is told,” Mattingly wrote in an Aug. 17 post on “American Thinker.” 

“I am grateful to my friends at Post Hill Press for all of their support and guidance, but after much consideration, I have decided it is best that I explore other publishing options for my book,” he added.

Louisville Metro Police Department Sgt. John Mattingly.
(Louisville Metro Police Department)

Mattingly, 48, had been with Louisville police since 2000 before he retired in June. 

His plans to write a book about the Taylor case set off a storm of criticism on social media earlier this year. In April, the Post Hill Press lost its distributor after Simon & Schuster announced it would not be involved. The book had originally been scheduled for a fall release.

“Like much of the American public, earlier today Simon & Schuster learned of plans by distribution client Post Hill Press to publish a book by Jonathan Mattingly,” Simon & Schuster said in an April statement. “We have subsequently decided not be involved in the distribution of this book.”

At the time, the Post Hill Press called Mattingly’s story “important.” 

In an email to Fox News on Tuesday, Kelsey Merritt, a spokesperson for Post Hill Press, said the separation was “due to Simon and Schuster not providing distribution for the book.”

“We want the best for Sgt. Mattingly and without distribution, our hands are tied,” Merritt wrote. “[Simon & Schuster] dropped distribution without reading the manuscript.” 

Mattingly and another officer fired shots that hit Taylor during the March 13, 2020, narcotics raid. Taylor, a 26-year-old Black emergency medical worker, died at the scene, but no drugs were found in the apartment.

Breonna Taylor was a 26-year-old African-American emergency medical technician.
(Taylor family photo)

A spokesperson for Benjamin Crump, Taylor’s family attorney, did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request seeking comment. 

Mattingly was found to have fired six of the 32 shots in the raid at Taylor’s home. Officials determined that another officer, Myles Cosgrove, fired the fatal shot that killed Taylor.

Mattingly was shot in the femoral artery by Taylor’s boyfriend but has recovered. Two other officers who fired shots, Cosgrove and Brett Hankison, have since been fired. Hankison is facing endangerment charges for firing into Taylor’s neighbor’s apartment.

In his “American Thinker” article, Mattingly said his life “has never been the same” since the March 2020 raid. 

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron addresses the media following the return of a grand jury investigation into the death of Breonna Taylor, in Frankfort, Kentucky. (AP)

Mattingly went on to describe how he and his family “received death threats for months on end,” were doxed and their social media accounts “were flooded with vile threats and insults.” They ultimately had to move to a different city, he said. 

“The establishment — media, politicians, and full-time social justice lawyers — thrive on division and hate,” Mattingly wrote. “As a police officer, I have watched them slander my brothers and sisters across the country with little regard for the facts. They drum up hatred against us so they can stay relevant and gain more power.”

He later added: “I plan to tell the truth, no matter the cost.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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