A former police officer in Kentucky has been found guilty of violating Breonna Taylor’s civil rights during a police raid in March 2020 that resulted in her death.
The verdict was reached by a jury on Friday in the trial of Brett Hankison, a former Louisville Metro Police Detective. The jury acquitted him on a separate charge related to the rights of Taylor’s neighbors. This marks Hankison’s second federal trial, with testimony from over a dozen witnesses presented over the past two weeks.
Federal prosecutors aimed to demonstrate that Hankison severely breached police protocol, endangering multiple individuals within the apartment complex. However, Hankison’s defense argued that his actions were justified, as he believed he was protecting fellow officers. They introduced a last-minute defense questioning whether Taylor was still alive when Hankison discharged his weapon, a point that appeared to complicate the jury’s deliberations.
Despite these arguments, the jury—comprising five white men, one Black man, and six white women—deliberated for three days before delivering the guilty verdict. After the decision, members of Taylor’s family were seen in tears and embraced one another outside the courtroom. Prosecutors requested Hankison’s immediate detention, but the judge denied the motion.
The shooting of Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, ignited widespread protests, led to new legislation across the country, and resulted in a $12 million civil settlement with her family.
The Incident
Taylor, an emergency room technician, was in her apartment when plainclothes officers shot her during a botched narcotics investigation around 12:40 a.m. on March 13, 2020. The officers claimed they announced themselves before forcibly entering the apartment while attempting to serve a search warrant. Neither Taylor nor her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker—who was present at the time—were the subjects of the investigation, and no drugs were found in the home. Walker and several neighbors stated they did not hear the officers identify themselves.
As the officers entered, Walker fired a single shot that struck an officer in the leg, believing the officers were intruders. Hankison, who had been with the police force for approximately 17 years, fired ten rounds into Taylor’s apartment through a covered glass door and window. Three of those rounds entered an adjacent apartment where a pregnant woman, her partner, and their young child were present. None of Hankison’s shots hit Taylor or any neighbors.
Hankison faced federal charges for violating the civil rights of Taylor and her neighbors. His first trial on these charges ended in a mistrial in November 2023 due to a deadlocked jury.
Hankison is scheduled for sentencing on March 12, where he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Jury Deliberations and Key Questions
During deliberations, the jury posed a question regarding whether they needed to determine if Taylor was a “living victim” when Hankison fired his weapon. Jury instructions indicated that Hankison was charged with depriving Taylor, described as a “living victim,” of her rights.
Hankison’s attorney contended that prosecutors had not established that Taylor was alive when he fired the shots, while prosecutors argued she was still alive during the critical seconds between being struck by other officers’ gunfire and Hankison’s firing. After reviewing the instructions provided to them, the jury continued their deliberations.
Following additional hours of discussions, the jury reported an inability to reach a unanimous verdict. The presiding judge, Rebecca Grady Jennings, prompted the jurors with an Allen charge, encouraging them to strive for a decision.
Ultimately, the jury delivered a not guilty verdict regarding the charges related to the neighbors and returned with a guilty verdict concerning Taylor’s rights after a total of approximately eight hours of deliberation.
Other Charges Related to the Case
Hankison was one of four former officers federally charged in relation to the raid on Taylor’s apartment. The others include Joshua Jaynes, Kelly Goodlett, and Kyle Meany. Jaynes and Meany face charges for civil rights violations and obstruction linked to the preparation and approval of a false search warrant. Goodlett pleaded guilty in August 2022 to conspiracy related to falsifying the search warrant and is expected to testify against Jaynes and Meany in their upcoming trial.