Breonna Taylor protests: Seattle cop who rolled bike over demonstrator's head facing criminal probe

A Seattle police officer caught on video rolling his bicycle over the head of a protester lying in the middle of a road during protests over the killing of Breonna Taylor is facing a criminal probe, authorities have said.

The officer, part of a group of police attempting to disperse crowds during unrest in the city on Wednesday night, has been placed on administrative leave while officials investigate the incident.

Seattle's Office of Police Accountability (OPA) said in a statement on Thursday the officer's conduct would be investigated independently by the King County Sheriff's Office at the request of Seattle Police Department (SPD).

SPD had earlier on Thursday said that it was "aware" of the video and referred it to the OPA. "After further analysing the video and observing the interviews... [We] requested that a criminal investigation be conducted," the OPA statement added.

Video of the incident shared on social media showed a group of officers riding bikes towards demonstrators who had been protesting against Kentucky prosecutors' decision not to charge any officer with the killing of Taylor, who was shot multiple times during a bungled raid on her home.

As the group of police approached, one officer appeared to push his bike over the protester's head, apparently instead of veering around him. It was not immediately clear if the man had been injured or whether he was attempting to block officers' paths; video appeared to show him being apprehended shortly after the incident.

Protests over the Taylor decision also erupted in Atlanta, New York, Philadelphia and Washington as activists called for more serious charges against the officers involved.

One of the officers, Brett Hankinson, has been charged with first-degree "wanton endangerment" for firing rounds into a neighbouring house. Sergeant John Mattingly and detective Myles Cosgrove, the two other cops, will face no charges, a grand jury decided.

Taylor, whose name has become a rallying cry for Black Lives Matter protesters, was shot at least six times after officers burst through her door searching for drugs. The warrant used was connected to a suspect who did not live there, and no drugs were found inside. The use of no-knock warrants have since been banned by Louisville's Metro Council.

When the officers entered the property, reportedly without announcing themselves as police, Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, discharged a firearm. He later told authorities he thought he and his partner were being burgled. After Mr Walker fired, officers returned gunshots.

Delivering the grand jury decision on Wednesday, Kentucky attorney general, David Cameron, said the fatal bullet was fired by Mr Cosgrove, but added that Mr Cosgrove and Mr Mattingly were justified in the use of force because they were shot at first. Mr Cameron said state law “bars us from seeking charges in Breonna Taylor’s death”.

Taylor's family condemned the "sham proceedings". Speaking to NBC Today on Thursday, family lawyer Ben Crump said “nothing seems to say Breonna mattered,” adding that the Kentucky grand jury carried-out a probe that did not give "Breonna Taylor a voice".

The verdict, delivered on Wednesday, led to protests in Louisville, Kentucky, overnight, where police arrested 127 people.