AP

Ex-officer cleared in shooting during Breonna Taylor raid

Mar 3, 2022, 9:38 PM | Updated: Dec 29, 2022, 11:44 am

Former Louisville Police Officer Brett Hankison, center, awaits the jury's verdict in his wanton en...

Former Louisville Police Officer Brett Hankison, center, awaits the jury's verdict in his wanton endangerment trial, Thursday, March 3, 2022, in Louisville, Ky. The jury cleared Hankison of charges that he endangered neighbors when he fired shots into an apartment during the 2020 drug raid that ended with Breonna Taylor’s death. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, Pool)

(AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, Pool)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A former Kentucky police officer was found not guilty Thursday on charges he endangered neighbors the night he fired into Breonna Taylor’s apartment during a botched drug raid that resulted in Taylor’s death.

The panel of eight men and four women delivered its verdict for Brett Hankison about three hours after it took the case following closing arguments from prosecution and defense attorneys.

None of the officers involved in the March 13, 2020, raid were charged with Taylor’s death, and Hankison did not fire any of the bullets that killed the 26-year-old Black woman. His acquittal likely closes the door on the possibility of state criminal charges against any of the officers involved in the raid. A federal investigation into whether the officers violated his civil rights is underway.

Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, and a group of friends and family left quickly without commenting after the verdict.

Hankison did not appear outside the courtroom after the verdict was read. But his attorney Stewart Mathews said he and Hankison were “thrilled.”

Asked what might have swayed the jury, Mathews replied, “I think it was absolutely the fact that he was doing his job as a police officer.”

Assistant Kentucky Attorney General Barbara Maines Whaley said she respected the verdict but had no further comment.

Prosecutors stressed in opening statements that the case wasn’t about Taylor’s death or the police decisions that led to the raid. Jurors were shown a single image of her body, barely discernible at the end of the hallway.

Taylor had been settling down for bed when officers arrived at her door. She was shot multiple times in her hallway and died at the scene.

Protesters filled the streets for months after Kentucky Attorney General David Cameron’s office declined to seek charges against any of the officers in connection to Taylor’s death. Taylor’s name and those of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery — Black men who died in encounters with police and white pursuers — became rallying cries for racial justice during nationwide protests in 2020.

Sadiqa Reynolds, president and CEO of the Louisville Urban League, said the verdict didn’t surprise her. Black residents of the city, she explained, had already been “experiencing a certain amount of frustration,” because no officer had been charged for Taylor’s death.

“I think there are a lot of people who are disappointed. It is very disheartening, but I have to tell you, it’s just not surprising,” she said. “It just doesn’t feel like an optimistic day for policing, for Black people, for our entire community.”

Louisville Mayer Greg Fischer said the verdict added to the “frustration and anger of many over the inability to find more accountability for the tragic events of March 13, 2020.”

“While the conduct considered in this case was not specific to Breonna Taylor’s death, the fact remains that she should not have died that night, and I know that for many, justice has still not been achieved,” he said.

Fischer cited some of the changes Louisville metro government has made since Taylor’s death, such as banning so-called no-knock warrants and conducting a top-to-bottom review of the police department.

Hankison, 45, had been charged with three counts of wanton endangerment for firing through sliding-glass side doors and a window of Taylor’s apartment during the raid. Multiple bullets pierced the wall of a neighboring apartment, and prosecutors said Hankison endangered the lives of a pregnant woman, her young child and her boyfriend who lived there.

Hankison’s attorneys never contested the ballistics evidence, but said he fired 10 bullets because he thought his fellow officers were “being executed.”

One of those officers, Sgt. John Mattingly, was hit in the leg by a bullet from a handgun fired by Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who said he thought intruders were breaking in.

“The jury felt like you go out and perform your duty and your brother officer gets shot, you got a right to defend yourself,” Mathews said of Hankison’s acquittal. “Simple as that.”

Hankison was fired by Louisville Police for shooting blindly during the raid. Asked during the trial if he did anything wrong that night, he said, “Absolutely not.”

Taylor was killed in the fire returned by Mattingly and fellow officer Myles Cosgrove.

Mattingly and Cosgrove declined to testify during Hankison’s trial, invoking their Fifth Amendment rights because of an ongoing FBI civil rights investigation. Hankison’s handgun and other evidence from the scene is being held by FBI investigators, though the gun was loaned to prosecutors to show at trial.

The U.S. Department of Justice also announced last year that it is investigating the city’s police department for potential discrimination and its use of force and search warrant policies.

Later Thursday evening, roughly 20 demonstrators gathered at Jefferson Square Park in downtown Louisville, protesting the verdict. In 2020, the square became an impromptu hub for protesters during months of demonstrations.

Cheyenne Osuala, who sat in on the trial with Taylor’s family, said she was stunned when she heard the jury’s decision.

“We’ve gotten nothing, not that that would have been justice for Breonna Taylor. But at least a conviction, even if it is small, it would have been something more than nothing,” she said.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

AP

Jean-Michel Gisnel cries out while praying with other congregants at the First Haitian Evangelical ...

David Crary, Associated Press

Trump won’t block immigration arrests in houses of worship. Now these 27 religious groups are suing

More than two-dozen Christian and Jewish groups representing millions of Americans filed a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration move allowing immigration agents to make arrests at houses of worship.

17 hours ago

A flag is raised during halftime of the NFL Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl 59 football game between the ...

JON GAMBRELL Associated Press

What’s happening in the Gaza Strip and Sudan that sparked a protest at the Super Bowl halftime show?

A brief protest by a performer at Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show unfurled a flag emblazoned with the words Sudan and Gaza.

1 day ago

A Mexican long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis) is seen in Nuevo León, Mexico, in July 2022....

Ty Oneil and Felicia Fonseca, Associated Press

Mexican long-nosed bats are no strangers to southeastern Arizona. The proof is in the saliva

Scientists have long suspected that Mexican long-nosed bats migrate through southeastern Arizona, but without capturing and measuring the night-flying creatures, proof has been elusive.

2 days ago

Freshly-made pennies sit in a bin at the U.S. Mint in Denver on Aug. 15, 2007....

Jill Colvin, Associated Press

Trump says he has directed US Treasury to stop minting new pennies, citing rising cost

President Donald Trump says he has directed the Treasury Department to stop minting new pennies, citing the rising cost of producion.

2 days ago

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One where Trump signed a proclamation d...

JILL COLVIN Associated Press

Trump says he is serious about Canada becoming 51st state in Super Bowl interview

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he is serious about wanting Canada to become the 51st state in an interview that aired Sunday during the Super Bowl preshow. “Yeah it is,” Trump told Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier when asked whether his talk of annexing Canada is “a real thing” — as Canadian Prime […]

2 days ago

This photo provided by Bud Light shows Bud Light's 2025 Super Bowl NFL football spot.  ( Bud Light ...

Mariah Maynes

Super Bowl commercials rely on comedy and nostalgia to avoid potential missteps

Most of the commercials airing during this year's Super Bowl are going for laughs, with advertisers betting that America could use a little break.

2 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Full speed through the snow. A man on skis is pulled by his through the snow at full gallop Skijori...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get ready for an unforgettable skijoring adventure in Bear Lake!

“Skijoring the Bear” takes place this year on February 21-22 in Garden City, Utah.

the bedroom in a geodesic dome shows the night sky...

Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon

Your front row to an extraordinary cosmos show

As America's first glass dome stargazing resort, Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon is one of the world’s most unique and spectacular places to stay.

2 people huddled up in a blanket and warm clothes sipping hot chocolate...

Bear Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau

The best ways to spend your Christmas vacation in Bear Lake

If you're dreaming of a white Christmas this year, Bear Lake should definitely be on your radar. Read this guide for more!

big crowd of people under holiday lights in an outdoor market...

Western Nut

Our favorite family Christmas activities in Utah

We gathered up a list of our favorite activities, movies, and treats to try this holiday season that the whole family can enjoy.

an IT tech looks at a laptop in front of a server network...

Comcast Business

Tips to protect yourself from phishing attacks

Check out this resource from Comcast Business to learn more about phishing attacks and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of one.

A surprise gift, wrapped and ready to bring holiday cheer! Whether for Christmas, a birthday, or an...

Western Nut

10 Holiday Gift Ideas to cover everyone on your list

This guide is for you if you need holiday gift ideas that will make a lasting impression. 

Ex-officer cleared in shooting during Breonna Taylor raid