Yesterday, a jury in a federal criminal trial found former Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) Officer Brett Hankison, who was involved in the warrant execution that resulted in the killing of Breonna Taylor, guilty on one count of depriving Taylor of her constitutional rights under color of law. The jury acquitted Hankison on the second count that charged him with violating the constitutional rights of Taylor’s neighbors.
In November 2023, a jury in Mr. Hankison’s first federal criminal trial was unable to reach a verdict, resulting in a mistrial.
In March 2022, a jury in a state criminal trial acquitted Brett Hankison of wanton endangerment.
In response to today’s verdict, Legal Defense Fund (LDF) President and Director-Counsel Janai Nelson issued the following statement:
“This verdict is an important, long overdue rendering of justice for Breonna Taylor’s killing that we hope provides a measure of solace to her family. For over four years, Ms. Taylor’s family has tirelessly fought to hold officers accountable for this wanton act of police violence. Millions of people across the country, and the world, have echoed this call. Although the jury verdict unfortunately allows former Officer Brett Hankison to escape accountability for putting Ms. Taylor’s neighbors in peril by brazenly firing 10 shots into her apartment building, it nonetheless sends a clear message that Mr. Hankison is culpable for his central role in Breonna Taylor’s death.
“Ms. Taylor’s tragic death has left an indelible mark on this country. While officers cut her life far too short, we hope her family’s fight for justice and accountability—culminating in yesterday’s jury verdict—will deter police from committing the type of reckless and dangerous actions that led to her death. We await the upcoming federal trials of the other officers involved in the events leading to Ms. Taylor’s death. Of course, no jury verdict can bring Ms. Taylor back, but we at LDF will continue to honor Ms. Taylor’s memory—and those of countless other victims of police violence—by developing and implementing strategies from our Framework for Public Safety to create a world where deaths like Ms. Taylor’s do not occur.”
Federal trials are pending for Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany, former LMPD officers accused of falsifying information on the warrant that allowed officers to forcefully enter Ms. Taylor’s home and eventually cause her death.
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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation’s first civil rights law organization. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Please note that LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights.
