A grand jury in Kentucky has indicted former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison on three counts of wanton endangerment in the first degree for his role in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, in her home in March..
The indictment, announced Wednesday, is a small step forward in the pursuit of justice for Taylor’s family and the Louisville community, but it does not address the fact that the officers who fired the shots that killed Taylor — Hankison, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, and Detective Myles Cosgrove — have not been charged with her death..
Taylor was shot and killed by police on March 13, 2020, after they used a no-knock warrant to enter her apartment. The warrant was obtained as part of a narcotics investigation, but no drugs were found in Taylor’s apartment..
Police said they announced themselves before entering Taylor’s apartment, but Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, said he did not hear them. Walker fired a shot at the officers, believing they were intruders. The officers returned fire, striking Taylor multiple times..
Hankison was fired from the Louisville Metro Police Department in June after an internal investigation found that he had violated department policies by firing his weapon through a covered window and into Taylor’s apartment..
The indictment of Hankison on wanton endangerment charges means that the grand jury found that he acted with extreme recklessness in firing his weapon. The charges are a Class D felony, punishable by one to five years in prison..
The lack of charges against the other two officers involved in Taylor’s death has sparked outrage across the country. Protests have been held in Louisville and other cities, and activists have called for the officers to be fired and charged with murder..
The Louisville Metro Police Department has defended its officers’ actions, saying that they were justified in returning fire after Walker fired at them. However, many legal experts have said that the officers’ use of force was excessive and that they should be held accountable for Taylor’s death..
The indictment of Hankison is a small step forward in the pursuit of justice for Taylor’s family and the Louisville community. However, the fact that the officers who fired the shots that killed Taylor have not been charged with her death remains a major obstacle to achieving justice..
The Taylor family and their supporters are calling for the other two officers to be charged with murder and for the department to be held accountable for its role in Taylor’s death. They are also calling for reforms to the use of no-knock warrants and to the police department’s policies on the use of force..
The fight for justice for Breonna Taylor is far from over. The indictment of Hankison is a small step forward, but there is still much more work to be done to achieve justice for Taylor and her family..
