Summary
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is recommending a one-day prison sentence for Brett Hankison, a former police officer involved in the 2020 Louisville raid where Breonna Taylor was killed. While Hankison's shots did not hit Taylor, he was convicted of firing recklessly, which violated the rights of those present.
Key Facts
- Breonna Taylor, a medical worker, died in March 2020 during a police raid at her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky.
- Seven officers executed a "no-knock" search warrant, meaning they did not have to announce themselves before entering.
- Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired one shot, thinking the officers were intruders; this led to officers returning fire.
- One officer fired the shot that killed Taylor, but Brett Hankison was charged for shooting blindly into the apartment.
- The DOJ now recommends Hankison serves no additional jail time beyond one day due to time already served.
- Hankison's sentencing hearing is scheduled for Monday, where a judge will finalize the decision.
- Breonna Taylor's death and George Floyd's death spurred nationwide protests over race and police practices.
- The city of Louisville paid Taylor’s family $12 million and banned no-knock warrants with a new law named in her honor.
