Trump praises AG's handling of Breonna Taylor case, calls him 'brilliant' and a 'star'

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - President Trump briefly addressed the Breonna Taylor case Wednesday after a grand jury indicted one of the involved officers, but not on criminal charges related to her death. 

During a White House press briefing, Trump praised Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron for his handling of the case. 

"I thought it was really brilliant," the president said before adding that Cameron is "doing a fantastic job. I think he's a star." 

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Trump did not elaborate specifically on the grand jury's decision to charge only one of the three officers who fired their weapons into Taylor's home during a raid on the night of March 13. Instead, he read a portion of Cameron's earlier statement explaining the lack of charges. 

The president ignored a reporter's question on his message to people upset over Breonna Taylor's killing. The president left the White House briefing early, saying that he had to "leave for an emergency call."

The only charges brought by the grand jury were three counts of wanton endangerment against fired Louisville police officer Brett Hankison for shooting into Taylor’s neighbors’ homes. 

Cameron, who is the state's first Black attorney general, said the other two officers acted in self-defense that night after Taylor's boyfriend fired at them first.

“According to Kentucky law, the use of force by (Officers Jonathan) Mattingly and (Myles) Cosgrove was justified to protect themselves,” he said. “This justification bars us from pursuing criminal charges in Miss Breonna Taylor’s death.”

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An FBI crime lab found that the bullet that killed Taylor was fired by Cosgrove. 

Taylor, an emergency medical worker, was shot multiple times by white officers who entered her home on a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation — although state Attorney General Daniel Cameron said the investigation showed the officers did announce themselves before entering. The warrant used to search her home was connected to a suspect who did not live there, and no drugs were found inside.

Louisville's Metro Council banned the use of no-knock warrants following Taylor's death. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.