A former Louisville police officer, Brett Hankison, is set to go on trial in federal court for violating Breonna Taylor’s civil rights during the botched raid that resulted in her death. This trial comes after Hankison was acquitted in a state trial last year. Jury selection for the federal case is scheduled to begin on Monday.
Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was shot to death by police officers who forcibly entered her apartment while executing a flawed search warrant in 2020. Taylor’s boyfriend fired a shot in self-defense, which hit one of the officers, leading them to return fire and fatally shoot Taylor multiple times in her hallway.
Hankison is one of four officers who were charged by the U.S. Department of Justice last year for violating Taylor’s civil rights. The killing of Taylor, along with George Floyd’s death, sparked widespread protests across the country in 2020, highlighting issues of racial injustice and police brutality.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the federal indictments in the Taylor case in August, emphasizing that Taylor “should be alive today.” Another former officer, Kelly Goodlett, has already pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge. Two other officers, Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany, are also facing charges for conspiring to deprive Taylor of her civil rights and are set to be tried together next year. Goodlett is expected to testify against them.
Hankison is the only officer of the four who was present during the raid. Although none of his shots hit anyone inside Taylor’s apartment, they entered neighboring apartments and endangered the lives of those inside.
During his 2022 trial in state court, Hankison claimed that he fired his handgun through Taylor’s window and patio door in an attempt to stop the perceived threat after a fellow officer was shot. However, investigators determined that only one shot was fired by Taylor’s boyfriend, who believed an intruder was breaking in.
At the state trial, Hankison maintained that he did nothing wrong during the raid, despite acknowledging his gunfire into Taylor’s apartment. He expressed remorse for Taylor’s death, stating, “She didn’t need to die that night.” This statement led to Taylor’s mother leaving the courtroom.
Hankison’s federal trial was postponed for two months to allow his defense team to process a significant amount of evidence provided by federal prosecutors. The trial is expected to last two to three weeks.
The outcome of this trial will be closely watched, as it represents an ongoing effort to hold law enforcement accountable for their actions and address issues of racial injustice and police misconduct.
