The only cop to face charges in the wake of Breonna Taylor’s death was found not guilty on Thursday of endangering Taylor’s neighbors, ending the prospect of any officers being held criminally liable by the state for the botched 2020 raid.
Brett Hankison, 45, was sacked by the Louisville Metro Police Department four months after the raid for “blindly firing 10 rounds” into Taylor’s apartment and “endangering the three lives” next door. Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman and well-regarded emergency room technician, was hit eight times. She died six minutes later.
The jury deliberated for around three hours on Thursday after five days of emotional witness testimony and impassioned closing arguments from both sides.