A federal judge has announced that Brett Hankison, a former police officer from Kentucky, will spend nearly three years in prison after using excessive force in the 2020 raid that ended Breonna Taylor’s life. This decision came despite a recommendation from the justice department for him to avoid prison time altogether.
During the raid, Hankison fired ten shots but miraculously did not injure anyone. He stands out as the sole officer charged related to Taylor’s tragic death. His sentencing marks a crucial moment in a case that brought serious attention to police conduct in Louisville and ignited protests concerning police brutality back in 2020.
The justice department had previously suggested a mere day in jail and supervised release for Hankison. In their sentencing memo, civil rights assistant attorney general Harmeet K. Dhillon and senior counsel Robert J. Keenan mentioned the psychological ramifications that Hankison faced due to this ongoing legal issue.
During the hearing held on Monday afternoon, US District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings decisively stated that no prison time simply “is not appropriate.” She admitted to being astonished that there weren’t greater injuries during the raid.
Hankison will spend 33 months behind bars, followed by three years of supervised probation. Even though his shots did not strike anyone, he fired into Taylor’s bedroom, hitting walls, blinds, and shot through a neighboring apartment where a couple lived with their young child.
In November 2024, he was convicted on one count of civil rights abuse and faced the possibility of a life sentence. Meanwhile, in May, under Donald Trump’s administration, the justice department ended negotiations with Louisville to enter a consent decree that would have allowed federal oversight of the city’s police reform efforts.
Six months post-Taylor’s passing, her family was awarded a $12 million wrongful death settlement by the city. Ben Crump, the family’s attorney for civil rights, expressed on Monday that while he wished Hankison could face a longer sentence, at least he is going to prison. Crump reflected that this time allowed to contemplate Breonna Taylor’s significance and value is invaluable.
