Former Louisville police officer sentenced for violating Breonna Taylor’s civil rights

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A federal judge has sentenced former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison to 33 months in prison for violating the civil rights of Breonna Taylor, who was killed in 2020 by law enforcement during a botched drug raid.

Hankison, 49, was convicted last year of violating Taylor’s civil rights, which could have resulted in a maximum sentence of life in prison. U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, handed down the sentence on Monday afternoon.

Last week, the U.S. Justice Department asked a federal judge to sentence him to just one day in prison and three years of supervised probation, noting in a court filing that he “did not shoot Ms. Taylor and is not otherwise responsible for her death.”

“It is unfathomable that, after finally securing a conviction, the Department of Justice would seek a sentence so drastically below the federal guidelines,” a statement from national civil rights attorneys Ben Crump, Lonita Baker and Sam Aguiar, who represent the family of Taylor, said in a statement.

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Brett Hankison (right) arrives in court on Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, alongside his attorneys for the beginning of his federal trial, which will determine if he violated the civil rights of Breonna Taylor, her boyfriend and neighbors.  (Taylor Six/Lexington Herald-Leader/Tribune News Service)

“This sets a dangerous precedent. When a police officer is found guilty of violating someone’s constitutional rights, there must be real accountability and justice,” it said. 

Taylor, a Black woman, was killed by police in 2020 after they executed a no-knock warrant during a botched raid of her home. Her boyfriend, who was carrying a legally owned firearm, shot at police, prompting them to fire back 22 times into the apartment.

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Former Louisville Police officer Brett Hankison examines a document as he answers questions from the prosecution, March 2, 2022. (Timothy D. Easley, Pool, File)

Her death, as well as the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, sparked mass racial justice protests around the country.

The Civil Rights Division during former Democratic President Joe Biden’s tenure brought criminal charges against the officers involved in both Taylor and Floyd’s death.

Former Louisville Police officer Brett Hankison describes what he saw in the apartment of Breonna Taylor during testimony, March 2, 2022, in Louisville, Kentucky. (Timothy D. Easley, Pool)

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A separate jury deadlocked on federal charges against Hankison in 2023, and he was acquitted on state charges of wanton endangerment in 2022.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.