Sat Nov 02 10:44:42 UTC 2024: ## Former Louisville Officer Convicted of Violating Breonna Taylor’s Civil Rights
**Louisville, Kentucky** – A former Louisville police officer, Brett Hankison, has been convicted of violating the civil rights of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman who was fatally shot during a botched police raid in 2020. The verdict, reached by a federal jury on Friday, comes after a trial that drew national attention and reignited calls for justice in Taylor’s death.
Hankison was found guilty on one count of civil rights abuse. The jury determined that he used excessive force during the raid, firing 10 shots into Taylor’s apartment windows despite not being able to see his target. Some of these shots also entered a neighboring apartment.
The incident occurred on March 13, 2020, when police executed a no-knock warrant at Taylor’s residence. Taylor, an emergency medical technician, was asleep with her boyfriend when police burst into her apartment. Her boyfriend fired a single shot at what he believed were intruders, prompting three officers to return fire with 32 shots, six of which struck Taylor, leading to her death.
Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, expressed relief and satisfaction with the verdict, stating that “it took a lot of time, a lot of patience, and it was hard.” She emphasized that Breonna deserved justice.
Hankison is the first of four officers charged by the US Department of Justice in 2022 to be convicted in connection with Taylor’s death. He faces a potential life sentence and is scheduled to be sentenced in March.
Prosecutors argued that Hankison’s actions were reckless and violated a fundamental rule of deadly force: officers must be able to see their target before firing.
Two other officers remain charged with falsifying a search warrant affidavit. Last August, Kelly Goodlett, a former Louisville police officer, pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge related to Taylor’s killing, becoming the first officer held criminally responsible for the raid.
The killing of Breonna Taylor, alongside the deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, sparked widespread protests across the US, demanding an end to police violence against Black people.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke reaffirmed the Justice Department’s commitment to upholding civil rights and ensuring that every person is protected from unlawful police violence.
First Piper 