Brett Hankison, the previous Louisville police officer who fired blindly into Breonna Taylor’s condominium throughout a 2020 raid that led to her dying, was sentenced Monday to 33 months in federal jail.
A federal jury discovered Hankison responsible final 12 months of utilizing extreme drive and violating Taylor’s constitutional rights. He fired 10 rounds by means of coated glass. None struck Taylor, however prosecutors stated his reckless actions endangered her and her neighbors.
U.S. District Choose Rebecca Grady Jennings rejected the Justice Division’s request that Hankison obtain simply in the future in jail, saying that no jail time “shouldn’t be applicable” and would undercut the jury’s November verdict, in response to the Related Press.
Civil rights legal professional Ben Crump, who helped Taylor’s household win a $12 million settlement, referred to as the DOJ’s advice “an insult to the lifetime of Breonna Taylor and a blatant betrayal of the jury’s determination.”
Taylor’s mom, Tamika Palmer, urged the choose to not go simple on the officer. “It was not justice,” she advised CNN after the decision. “However I acquired what I began out for—jail time, so it’s a begin.”
Hankison’s attorneys sought leniency, citing threats and harassment he endured after Taylor’s dying gained nationwide consideration. They stated he’s weak attributable to his standing as a police officer and the extraordinary media highlight.
Hankison is the one officer convicted in reference to the botched raid that led to Taylor’s dying. He was beforehand acquitted on state prices and solely discovered responsible in federal court docket after two makes an attempt—the primary ending in a mistrial.
Taylor, a 26-year-old ER technician, died when Louisville officers executed a late-night no-knock warrant at her residence as a part of a drug case involving her ex-boyfriend, who didn’t dwell there. Her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker III, fired one shot, believing intruders have been breaking in, and officers returned fireplace, placing Taylor.
Taylor’s dying fueled 2020 racial justice uprisings and have become a flashpoint for nationwide police reform. Whereas Hankison’s sentencing is a uncommon conviction, many say it nonetheless falls wanting full justice.
About the Author
