Ex-Louisville Cop Convicted of Using Excessive Force and Civil Rights Violations in the Death of Breonna Taylor

On Friday, a federal jury convicted ex-Louisville police detective Brett Hankison of using excessive force on Breonna Taylor during a fatal no-knock raid in 2020. He was also federally convicted of violating Taylor’s civil rights.

During the botched raid, Hankison fired his weapon into then-26-year-old Taylor’s bedroom ten times in the dark. He did not hit anyone but several of his bullets did fly through the wall, entering the apartment of Taylor’s neighbor. However, Hankison was cleared of using excessive force on Taylor’s neighbor.

Hankison is the first of the three officers present during the raid to receive a conviction. Between the officers, they fired dozens of rounds into Taylor’s room on the night in question.

"Today, Brett Hankison was found guilty by a jury of his peers for willfully depriving Breonna Taylor of her constitutional rights," insisted Attorney General Merrick Garland in a press statement. "His use of deadly force was unlawful and put Ms. Taylor in harm's way. This verdict is an important step toward accountability for the violation of Breonna Taylor's civil rights, but justice for the loss of Ms. Taylor is a task that exceeds human capacity."  

This is the second time Hankison has been to court over federal charges stemming from Taylor’s death. Last year, a federal jury ended up deadlocked. Hankison was also acquitted of wanton endangerment charges at the state level in 2022.

Hankison will be sentenced in March. The conviction comes with a maximum penalty of life in prison.

In a statement outside of the courthouse, Tamika Palmer, Taylor’s mother, said, "Until you know what it feels like to watch your child be killed for 1,694 days, and nobody holds anybody accountable, I don't think anybody could understand what that feels like unless you knee-deep in it.”

Palmer continued, “It took a lot of time. It took a lot of patience. It was hard. The jurors took their time to really understand that Breonna deserved justice.”