Ex-cop guilty in Breonna Taylor shooting; used excess force
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A federal jury in Louisville, Kentucky, has found former Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officer Brett Hankison guilty of violating Breonna Taylor’s civil rights during a botched drug raid on March 13, 2020. The 46-year-old ex-officer was convicted of one count of civil rights abuse for firing five shots through a covered bedroom window in what prosecutors described as “an attempt to kill.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ) stated that Hankison’s actions lacked “a lawful objective justifying the use of deadly force.” However, the jury acquitted him of charges related to endangering Taylor’s neighbors when he fired additional shots through a sliding glass door.
The incident began when LMPD detectives executed a search warrant at Taylor’s apartment shortly after midnight. After receiving no response to their announcement, they forcibly entered the premises. Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired a shot from his legally owned handgun, striking one officer. Two officers returned fire, fatally wounding Taylor.
A federal jury convicted former Louisville police detective Brett Hankison of using excessive force on Breonna Taylor during a botched raid in 2020.
"For the first time, an officer was found guilty in the death of Breonna Taylor," Florida state attorney Dave Aronberg says. pic.twitter.com/S1T99jJCvf
— ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) November 2, 2024
Hankison, who had been with the LMPD for 17 years, deviated from the doorway and fired blindly into the apartment complex. Fellow law enforcement officers testified that his actions violated department training and established principles of policing.
The other officers involved in the raid, John Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove, were not charged in Taylor’s death, as prosecutors deemed their actions justified in response to Walker’s initial shot.
The case sparked controversy and led to the passage of “Breonna’s Law” in Kentucky, which prohibits the use of no-knock warrants. The LMPD stated that it respects the jury’s verdict and pledged to “strive to continuously improve.”
Hankison’s sentencing is scheduled for March 12, 2025. The DOJ also revealed that two other officers face charges related to falsifying the affidavit that led to the fatal search, while a third has admitted to conspiracy in the same matter.
A jury found former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison guilty of violating Breonna Taylor's civil rights during a fatal botched police raid, in a retrial of the federal case against him.
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— ABC News (@ABC) November 2, 2024
The incident generated widespread public attention and debate, with some misinformation circulating about the circumstances of Taylor’s death. Reports clarified that the LMPD had obtained search warrants for the raid, contrary to some claims suggesting otherwise.
