Former Kentucky Officer Sentenced in Breonna Taylor Raid;
Brett Hankison, a former Kentucky police officer, has been sentenced to 33 months in prison after being convicted of violating Breonna Taylor's civil rights by using excessive force during a 2020 raid on her home that resulted in her fatal shooting.
A federal jury found him guilty last year. The maximum sentence for the charge was life in prison.
The sentencing comes amidst contrasting approaches from different administrations; the Trump administration had requested a one-day sentence for Hankison, a stark difference from the Biden administration's stance.
Hankison is the only officer to have been directly charged and convicted in connection with the botched raid. Another former officer, Kelly Goodlett, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy in falsifying the search warrant affidavit and covering up actions after Taylor's death, will be sentenced next year.
Following his prison sentence, Hankison will face three years of supervised release.
Reactions to the Sentencing
Tamika Palmer, Breonna Taylor's mother, expressed that the judge did the best she could but was critical of federal prosecutors who argued for a lesser sentence.
Kenneth Walker, Taylor's boyfriend who was with her during the raid, expressed gratitude for the "small piece of justice."
Details of the Raid
Breonna Taylor became a prominent figure in the Black Lives Matter movement after her death, which occurred when plainclothes officers executed a "no-knock" search warrant at her home while she and Walker were asleep.
Authorities believed Taylor's former boyfriend was using her home to hide narcotics.
When officers burst into the apartment, Kenneth Walker fired a single shot, hitting one officer, Sgt. John Mattingly, in the leg. Walker stated he believed they were intruders as the officers did not announce themselves as police.
The three officers returned fire, discharging 32 bullets into the apartment. Hankison fired 10 times, claiming he did so to protect fellow officers. While none of Hankison's bullets hit anyone, they did enter a neighboring property where a pregnant woman, a five-year-old, and a man were sleeping. Prosecutors argued that Hankison acted recklessly, violating a fundamental rule of deadly force by shooting without a clear target.
Outside the courthouse, protesters blocked streets and chanted Taylor's name, with several individuals, including Taylor's aunt, Bianca Austin, being detained by police.