A former Kentucky police officer, Brett Hankison, has been convicted of violating the civil rights of Breonna Taylor, who was fatally shot during a botched raid in March 2020.
Hankison, aged 47, faces a possible life sentence after being found guilty of using excessive force against Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician.
The jury also acquitted Hankison on a separate charge relating to the civil rights of one of Taylor’s neighbours, whose home was also impacted by gunfire.
This marks the third trial for Hankison in the case but represents the first conviction of any officer involved in the deadly raid, which spurred widespread calls for racial justice across the United States.
After the verdict was delivered on Friday, Taylor’s family members reportedly broke down in tears in the courtroom. Although prosecutors requested Hankison be immediately taken into custody, the judge denied this request, according to the Louisville Courier Journal.
The jury, consisting of five white men, one black man, and six white women, began deliberating on Wednesday. Hankison’s indictment stated he violated Taylor’s right to be free from unreasonable seizures and endangered her neighbours’ rights to due process by firing into her apartment.
During the trial, Hankison defended his actions, claiming he fired to protect fellow officers after Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, shot at officers who entered the home without announcing themselves.
Taylor’s death occurred during a “no-knock” raid on her home, conducted under suspicion that her former boyfriend was using her residence for drug-related activities.
When officers broke down the door, Walker, believing them to be intruders, fired a shot that struck Sgt. John Mattingly in the leg, prompting officers to respond with 32 bullets, one of which ultimately killed Taylor. None of Hankison’s bullets struck anyone, but they entered a neighbouring apartment where a family was present.
Hankison, who was dismissed from the Louisville Metro Police Department in June 2020, had previously faced two trials, including a Kentucky state jury trial in March 2022, where he was acquitted of felony wanton endangerment charges. His federal trial last year ended in a mistrial when jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
Following Taylor’s death, her family received a settlement from the city, and Louisville implemented a series of police reforms.
Hankison’s sentencing is scheduled for 12 March next year.
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