Breonna Taylor
Four police officers were charged with federal crimes related to the death of Breonna Taylor.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday announced the Justice Department is charging four current and former Louisville police officers in connection with the raid that killed Breonna Taylor.
The FBI arrested four police officers on Thursday – including a detective who was already cleared by a jury!
Taylor was killed during a knock and announce drug raid on March 13, 2020 during which her boyfriend shot at police and they returned fire. LMPD Sgt. Jon Mattingly was shot during the exchange and has now recovered.
In September 2020, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced there would be no charges filed against two of the Louisville police officers involved in the shooting of Breonna Taylor, while the third was charged with “wanton endangerment.”
Detective Brett Hankison was indicted on three counts of “wanton endangerment in the first degree” by a grand jury.
Brett Hankison
Wanton endangerment is a Class D felony, punishable by one to five years in prison.
A jury in March of this year found Hankison not guilty on all three counts of felony wanton endangerment.
Now Merrick Garland is going after Brett Hankison and three other Louisville police officers.
ABC News reported:
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday that the Department of Justice has filed charges against four former and current Louisville police officers in connection with the death of Breonna Taylor. The charges include civil rights offenses, unlawful conspiracies, unconstitutional use of force and obstruction offenses.
The Justice Department has had a pattern or practice investigation ongoing into the Louisville Police Department since April 2021.
The federal charges allege that police officers falsified the affidavit used to obtain the search warrant of Taylor’s home and that this act violated federal civil rights laws, resulting in her death. Former Louisville detective Kelly Goodlett and officer Joshua Jaynes have been charged with conspiracy for allegedly falsifying the affidavit for a search warrant, according to the justice department.
Charges have also been filed against Brett Hankison a former Louisville Metro Police officer who was involved in the death of Breonna Taylor. Hankison has been charged in a two-count indictment for deprivation of rights under color of law, both of which are civil rights offenses.
“We share, but we cannot fully imagine, the grief felt by Breanna Taylor’s loved ones and all of those affected by the events of March 13, 2020. Breonna Taylor should be alive today,” Garland said during Thursday’s press conference.
WATCH:
BREAKING: Attorney General Merrick Garland announces that the Justice Department has charged four current and former Louisville Metro Police Department officers with federal crimes related to death of Breonna Taylor. https://t.co/MkMVdSy5iE pic.twitter.com/Dn3DYyVoB0
— ABC News (@ABC) August 4, 2022
