A federal judge has dismissed major felony charges against two former Louisville officers, Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany, accused of falsifying a warrant that led to the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor.

U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson ruled that Taylor’s death was legally caused by her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who fired at police during the raid, not by the faulty warrant.

This ruling reduces the potential charges against Jaynes and Meany from civil rights violations carrying life sentences to misdemeanors, though some charges remain.

Walker, who believed the police were intruders, was initially charged with attempted murder, but those charges were dropped.

The U.S. Justice Department is reviewing the judge’s decision, CBS News has reported.

A third former officer, Kelly Goodlett, has pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and is expected to testify against Jaynes and Meany.

A fourth officer, Brett Hankison, faces a retrial in October for endangering lives during the raid. The city of Louisville settled with Walker for $2 million in 2022.

Written by B.C. Begley