Judge Sentences Ex-Cop Brett Hankison to 33 Months for Role in Breonna Taylor Raid, Rejects DOJ’s Push to Let Him Walk

A federal judge has sentenced former Louisville officer Brett Hankison to nearly three years in prison for using excessive force during the 2020 raid that killed Breonna Taylor, rejecting the U.S. Department of Justice’s recommendation for no prison time. U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings sentenced Hankison to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, saying, “no prison time is not appropriate” and would diminish the jury’s November verdict. She added she was “startled” more people weren’t harmed by Hankison’s blind shots during the raid.

Hankison, who fired 10 bullets but didn’t hit anyone, is the only officer involved in the deadly raid to be sentenced to prison. His bullets penetrated Taylor’s apartment walls and nearly hit a neighboring family. Taylor’s killing, along with George Floyd’s murder, fueled nationwide protests in 2020.

Jennings criticized the DOJ’s sentencing memo, calling some of their arguments “incongruous and inappropriate.” The department had suggested Hankison receive time served—just one day—and probation, which civil rights attorney Ben Crump condemned as “an insult to the life of Breonna Taylor.” He added after the hearing, “While this isn’t the sentence we hoped for, it’s more than what the Department of Justice sought. That, in itself, is a statement.”

Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, expressed frustration with federal prosecutors: “There was no prosecution in there for us. Brett had his own defense team—I didn’t know he got a second one.”

While Taylor’s boyfriend fired a shot during the raid, hitting an officer, Jennings noted that “does not allow officers to then do what they want and then be excused.”

Four protestors were arrested outside the courthouse during the sentencing. Meanwhile, three other former officers face charges for falsifying the warrant used in the raid but were not present at Taylor’s death.

The DOJ’s memo, submitted by Trump-appointee Harmeet Dhillon, cited Hankison’s PTSD and vulnerability in prison as reasons to avoid incarceration. Crump closed the hearing with a chant outside: “Say her name,” met with cries of “Breonna Taylor!” from the crowd.

Link: APNews 

If you’ve lost someone to fatal violence under police or while incarcerated, apply to our Autopsy Initiative for a free independent autopsy here:  https://www.knowyourrightscamp.org/autopsyinitiative