One day in prison for ex-Louisville officer in Breonna Taylor case: DOJ

The U.S. Department of Justice is recommending a one-day prison sentence for a former Louisville Metro Police officer involved in the March 2020 raid that killed Breonna Taylor and led to intense protests and an overhaul of the Kentucky city’s policing practices. Brett Hankison, 46, a former detective, was convicted on federal charges of violating Taylor’s constitutional rights. 

In reality, Hankison would serve no time if a judge follows a recommendation by prosecutors at a sentencing hearing Monday. The former officer would be given credit for time served after his initial booking following Taylor’s death.

A chaotic shooting

On March 13, 2020, officers were executing a “no knock” search warrant at Taylor’s apartment as part of a drug investigation tied to Kenneth Walker, her boyfriend.

Walker, who later said he believed someone was breaking into the apartment, fired a single shot, striking an officer in the leg. In response, three officers fired 32 rounds into the apartment. Taylor, 26, a Black medical worker, was shot six times and died in the apartment. No drugs were recovered.

Hankison fired “blindly” into Taylor’s apartment after his colleague was shot, according to court records. At least 10 rounds were fired into Taylor’s apartment, and some bullets went through a wall into a neighboring apartment. Hankison’s bullets struck no one.

No officer was ever charged with killing Taylor. 

Taylor’s death prompted protests in Louisville and beyond, coinciding with demonstrations sparked by George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer.

Louisville later paid $12 million to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Taylor’s mother and $2 million to resolve a suit that Walker filed. The city also changed police procedures, banning no-knock warrants that allowed officers to bust into homes without warning.

DOJ cites lack of prior convictions, good conduct

In a sentencing memo filed late Wednesday, the Justice Department noted that Hankison has no prior convictions, has maintained stable employment throughout his adult life and has exhibited good behavior since his release from custody more than four years ago.

Those factors, the memo said, “demonstrate that there is no need for a prison sentence to protect the public from [the] defendant.”

While Hankison would serve no time behind bars, the government is asking the judge to impose three years of supervised release.

The memo was signed by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, the head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division.

Taylor’s family responds

Taylor’s family denounced the sentencing recommendation.

“This sets a dangerous precedent,” the family said in a statement on behalf of Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer. “When a police officer is found guilty of violating someone’s constitutional rights, there must be real accountability and justice. Recommending just one day in prison sends the unmistakable message that white officers can violate the civil rights of Black Americans with near-total impunity.”

“The family asked for one thing: that Brett Hankison be sentenced in accordance with the law and federal guidelines. Instead, Tamika Palmer is left, once again, heartbroken and angry. Still, she is holding out hope and praying that the judge will do what the DOJ has refused to do –– uphold the law, respect the jury’s verdict, and deliver true justice for Breonna Taylor.”