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Breonna Taylor: Brett Hankinson found NOT GUILTY of shooting during raid at Black EMT's house

Hankison had been charged for firing through sliding-glass side doors and a window of Breonna's apartment 

Ex-Louisville cop Brett Hankison, the only officer who was criminally charged in the botched midnight raid on Breonna Taylor's home, was found not guilty on Thursday, March 3, nearly two years after the young EMT was gunned down. Hankinson was accused of endangering the lives of Taylor and her neighbors when he fired his gun during the raid on March 13, 2020. The two other officers involved in the raid were never criminally charged, with Louisville police firing Hankison, a 20-year veteran K-9 officer, for the shooting. He reportedly did not fire the fatal shot. The panel of eight men and four women delivered its verdict on Thursday, March 3, about three hours after it took the case following closing arguments from prosecution and defence attorneys.

The jury found Hankinson not guilty on all three counts of wanton endangerment. Hankison had been charged for firing through sliding-glass side doors and a window of Breonna's apartment. Stewart Mathews, his attorney, maintained that Hankinson responded “as he was taught to do” when he fired 10 shots near the door and window. While he admitted to firing through Breonna's patio doors and bedroom window he said, he did so to save his fellow officers. Asked if he did anything wrong that night, he said: “absolutely not”. Hankison was fired by Louisville Police for shooting blindly during the raid.

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He “was attempting to defend and save the lives of his fellow officers who he thought were still caught in that fatal funnel inside that doorway,” Mathews said in his opening statement. Mathews said that he and Hankinson were "thrilled" after the verdict. “The jury felt like you go out and perform your duty and your brother officer gets shot, you got a right to defend yourself. Simple as that,” he said. 

Tamika Palmer, Breonna's mother, who was in the court, left without commenting. In 2020, her family had settled with the city of Louisville for $12 million. The family of Breonna, a 26-year-old Black emergency medical technician (EMT), had said that officers barged into her apartment in the middle of the night and opened fire during a "botched" drug raid while looking for a suspect who was already in custody. On March 13, Breonna died in the early hours after police raided the home she shared with her boyfriend Kenneth Walker in Louisville. Authorities claimed that the midnight search was part of a drug investigation, however, the lawsuit filed by the family states there was no drug found at the house. The family lawyers said that the main suspect, Jamarcus Glover, was already in police custody at the time of the raid. 

Breonna, who worked for two local hospitals, was killed after police fired at least 20 rounds into the home. No police bodycam footage of that night is available. Civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump described her tragic death as a "senseless killing".  

Breonna and Walker were reportedly sleeping when police raided their home. Walker, who has a license to carry, fired his gun thinking they were being robbed. LMPD Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and officers Hankison and Myles Cosgrove entered their apartment shortly before 1 am without announcing themselves. Walker faced charges of first-degree assault and attempted murder of a police officer after Mattingly was hit during the raid.
 
After her death, demonstrations to commemorate the first death anniversary of Breonna Taylor turned violent as protesters clashed with cops and members of the public at marches across the country. Protesters in large numbers took to the streets in Los Angeles and two of them were seen smashing a squad car. 

In 2020 itself, police confirmed that they were investigating sexual assault allegations leveled against Hankinson. Margo Borders reportedly said that Hankison had sexually assaulted her in April 2018 while she was unconscious after driving her home following a night out, and that the incident had traumatized her. Emily Terry shared a similar story, claiming that Hankison assaulted her in 2019 after he spotted her walking home alone. Hankison was also the accused in a civil lawsuit in federal court that accused him of unrelated unnecessary arrests and harassment of one Kendrick Wilson.

'Brett Hankinson got 0 charges for Breonna Taylor’s death'

The Internet is furious at Hankinson's acquittal. "Brett Hankinson is guilty as hell and they just let him walk. The justice system needs to be reformed," one user wrote. "Brett Hankinson, the cop who was charged w/putting neighbors in jeopardy after the senseless killing of Breonna Taylor was just acquitted. No one has been charged with the murder of Breonna. This verdict says cops can shoot recklessly without consequences!" another commented.

"No knock warrants are a aspect of injustice through policing. Taylor didn’t deserve to die, she was a hard working resident of Kentucky who loved her family and was a sweet soul. Brett Hankinson got 0 charges for Taylor’s death & endangering her neighbors — how lawless is that!" one user said. One user commented, "Brett Hankinson went rambo and killed an unarmed girl sleeping in her bed and the worst thing that happened to him is he got bit on the face by a dog", while another said, "I hope Brett Hankinson, only cop charged with the death of Breonna Taylor who is not guilty on all counts, goes straight to hell!"