Former Louisville Metro Police Detective Brett Hankison has been found guilty of violating Breonna Taylor’s civil rights in the fatal raid that took place in March 2020, the Associated Press reports.
On November 1, a 12-member jury convicted Hankison, although he was found innocent of an excessive force charge earlier in the day.
Prosecutors argued that Hankison behaved recklessly as he fired 10 shots into doors and a window, although he had no clear view of a target, with some shots entering the apartment next door. In total, 32 shots were fired by police officers who attempted to execute a “no knock” warrant.
Kenneth Walker, Taylor’s boyfriend, shot back at the cops, believing they were intruders. He shot one officer in the leg.
In the closing arguments, prosecutors said that Hankison “violated one of the most fundamental rules of deadly force: If they cannot see the person they’re shooting at, they cannot pull the trigger.”
Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, expressed gratitude for the jury’s decision outside the federal courthouse.
“It took a lot of time. It took a lot of patience,” Palmer said. “It was hard. The jurors took their time to really understand that Breonna deserved justice.
“1,694 days it took. It was long, it was hard, it was—I don’t know if I’ve got some words (other than) ‘thank God,’” she added.
On November 2, the Louisville Metro Police Department claimed to have initiated new changes in the department since Taylor was killed in 2020 and that it accepts the jury’s verdict.
“It is not lost on us that this event forever altered the fabric of our community, and we acknowledge the pain caused by the death of Breonna Taylor,” the department statement read. “Our officers are sworn to protect and serve the community, upholding the law with integrity and fairness. We condemn any behavior that runs afoul of the mission to help and protect our citizens.”
“Breonna Taylor’s life mattered,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division added. “We hope the jury’s verdict recognizing this violation of Ms. Taylor’s civil and constitutional rights brings some small measure of comfort to her family and loved ones who have suffered so deeply from the tragic events of March 2020.”
Taylor’s murder was a spark for massive protests against police brutality in Louisville throughout the nation.
Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, described the jury’s ruling as “a long-awaited moment of accountability.
“While it cannot restore Breonna to her family, it represents a crucial step in the pursuit of justice and a reminder that no one should be above the law,” King wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Hankison’s conviction makes him the first Louisville police officer involved in the deadly encounter to be found guilty. Kelly Goodlett, another former police officer involved in the killing, pleaded guilty to falsifying the search warrant for Taylor’s home. The other two officers had their federal charges dismissed earlier this year, but the DOJ indicted them on new charges in October.
Because of the conviction, Hankison can receive a life sentence in prison. He will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings on March 12, 2025.
