Jury convicts former Kentucky officer of using excessive force on Breonna Taylor during deadly raid

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A national assemblage connected Friday convicted a erstwhile Kentucky constabulary detective of utilizing excessive unit connected Breonna Taylor during a botched 2020 supplier ambush that near her dead.

The 12-member assemblage returned nan late-night verdict aft clearing Brett Hankison earlier successful nan evening connected a complaint that he utilized excessive unit connected Taylor’s neighbors.

It’s nan first condemnation of a Louisville constabulary serviceman who was progressive successful nan deadly raid.

Some members of nan assemblage were successful tears arsenic nan verdict was publication astir 9:30 p.m. Friday. They had earlier indicated to nan judge successful 2 abstracted messages that they were deadlocked connected nan complaint of utilizing excessive unit Taylor but chose to proceed deliberating. The six man, six female assemblage deliberated for much than 20 hours complete 3 days.

Hankison fired 10 shots into Taylor’s solid doorway and windows during nan raid, but didn’t deed anyone. Some shots flew into a next-door neighbor’s adjoining apartment.

The decease of nan 26-year-old Black woman, on pinch nan May 2020 constabulary sidesplitting of George Floyd successful Minneapolis, sparked group injustice protests nationwide.

A abstracted assemblage deadlocked connected national charges against Hankison past year, while successful 2022, a assemblage acquitted Hankison connected authorities charges of wanton endangerment.

The condemnation against Hankison carries a maximum condemnation of life successful prison.

Hankison, 48, based on passim nan proceedings that he was acting to protect his chap officers aft Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired connected them erstwhile they collapsed down Taylor’s doorway pinch a battering ram.

This assemblage had sent a statement connected Thursday to U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings asking whether they needed to cognize if Taylor was live arsenic Hankison fired his shots.

That was a constituent of contention during closing arguments, erstwhile Hankison’s lawyer Don Malarcik told nan assemblage that prosecutors must “prove beyond a reasonable uncertainty that Ms. Taylor was alive” erstwhile Hankison fired.

After nan assemblage sent nan question, Jennings urged them to support deliberating.

Walker changeable and wounded 1 of nan officers. Hankison testified that erstwhile Walker fired, he moved away, rounded nan area of nan flat portion and fired into Taylor’s solid doorway and a window.

Meanwhile, officers astatine nan doorway returned Walker’s fire, hitting and sidesplitting Taylor, who was successful a hallway.

Hankison’s lawyers based on during closing statements Wednesday that Hankison was acting decently “in a very tense, very chaotic environment” that lasted astir 12 seconds. They emphasized that Hankison’s shots didn’t deed anyone.

Hankison was 1 of four officers charged by nan U.S. Department of Justice successful 2022 pinch violating Taylor’s civilian rights. Thus far, those charges person yielded conscionable 1 conviction: a plea woody from a erstwhile officer who was not astatine nan ambush and became a cooperating witnesser successful different case.

Malarcik, Hankison’s attorney, said astatine magnitude during closing arguments astir nan domiciled of Taylor’s boyfriend, who fired nan changeable that deed erstwhile Sgt. John Mattingly astatine nan door. He said Walker ne'er tried to travel to nan doorway aliases move nan lights connected arsenic constabulary were knocking and alternatively equipped himself and hid successful nan dark.

“Brett Hankison was 12 inches distant from being changeable by Kenneth Walker,” Malarcik said.

Prosecutors said Hankison acted recklessly, firing 10 shots into doors and a model wherever he couldn’t spot a target.

They said successful closing arguments that Hankison “violated 1 of nan astir basal rules of deadly force: If they cannot spot nan personification they’re shooting at, they cannot propulsion nan trigger.”

Neither of nan officers who changeable Taylor — Mattingly and erstwhile Detective Myles Cosgrove — were charged successful Taylor’s death. Federal and authorities prosecutors person said those officers were justified successful returning fire, since Taylor’s fellow changeable astatine them first.