Current:Home > MyJury in Breonna Taylor federal civil rights trial opens deliberations in case of ex-officer-LoTradeCoin
Jury in Breonna Taylor federal civil rights trial opens deliberations in case of ex-officer
View Date:2024-12-23 11:29:30
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A jury began deliberations Monday afternoon at the federal trial of a former Louisville police detective accused of violating Breonna Taylor’s civil rights by opening fire on her apartment the night she was killed during a botched raid.
The jury received the case on a day when the former officer, Brett Hankison, was grilled by a federal prosecutor over his actions at the time the 26-year-old Black woman was killed. Taylor was shot to death by police after they knocked down the door of her apartment on March 13, 2020.
Federal prosecutors are attempting to do what Kentucky prosecutors couldn’t — convict Hankison for his actions on the night Taylor was fatally shot. Last year, the former officer was acquitted by a jury at a state trial of wanton endangerment charges.
A federal prosecutor said in closing arguments Monday that Hankison “sent bullets flying” into Taylor’s apartment and an adjoining apartment. Jurors heard earlier that none of the shots he fired struck anyone, despite rounds straying into another apartment where a couple with a child lived.
Prosecutor Michael Songer said that Hankison’s actions “dishonored” other police officers, adding that the role of police is to protect human life and that Hankison knew that “firing blindly was wrong.”
Hankison was one of four officers who were charged by the U.S. Department of Justice last year with violating Taylor’s civil rights, accused of endangering Taylor, her boyfriend and Taylor’s neighbors, who shared a wall with her apartment.
The two counts of civil rights violations against him carry a maximum penalty of life in prison if he is convicted.
Defense attorney Stewart Mathews, in his closing arguments, urged jurors to consider what Hankison encountered — the “chaos he was surrounded with.”
“He reacted by trying to protect the lives of his fellow officers and himself,” Mathews said.
Hankison’s response to “what he perceived was reasonable, not criminal,” Mathews added.
Earlier, under questioning from his attorney, Hankison said he opened fire to “stop the threat” posed by the shooter in Taylor’s apartment. He did so, he said, to “defend my life” and the lives of his fellow officers. His comments wrapped up testimony in the trial.
Taylor was shot to death by officers who were executing a drug search warrant, which was later found to be flawed. Taylor’s boyfriend fired a single shot that hit one of the officers as they came through the door of the apartment, and officers returned fire, striking Taylor in the apartment hallway multiple times. The other 32 bullets fired in the raid came from police, investigators determined.
When gunfire erupted, Hankison ran to the side of the apartment and sprayed bullets through Taylor’s windows. Officers found no drugs or long guns in Taylor’s apartment.
Earlier, under questioning from a federal prosecutor Monday, Hankison testified he did not see a shooter when he fired through Taylor’s covered window and sliding door, and said he did not know exactly where the shooter was inside the apartment, but saw muzzle flashes from gunfire. Hankison said in earlier testimony that he could see a shooter in the hallway before he rounded the corner of the apartment and fired into the glass door and windows.
Taylor’s killing along with George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minnesota police in 2020 ignited protests that summer around the country over racial injustice and police brutality. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the federal indictments in the Taylor case in August 2022, remarking that Taylor “should be alive today.”
Three other former officers involved in drawing up the warrant have been charged in a separate federal case. One of them, Kelly Goodlett, has pleaded guilty and is expected to testify against former detective Joshua Jaynes and former Sgt. Kyle Meany in their trial next year.
veryGood! (66)
Related
- Auburn surges, while Kansas remains No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports men's basketball poll
- What to make of the Pac-12, Georgia? Who wins Week 4 showdowns? College Football Fix discusses
- How can I resolve a hostile email exchange before it escalates? Ask HR
- Longshoremen at key US ports threatening to strike over automation and pay
- Justice Department sues to block UnitedHealth Group’s $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys
- 'Survivor' Season 47 premiere: Date, time, cast, how to watch and stream
- Man who sold fentanyl-laced pill liable for $5.8 million in death of young female customer
- Edwin Moses documentary ’13 Steps’ shows how clearing the hurdles was the easy part for a track icon
- Bluesky has added 1 million users since the US election as people seek alternatives to X
- Kate Middleton Reaches New Milestone After Completing Chemotherapy for Cancer
Ranking
- OneTaste Founder Nicole Daedone Speaks Out on Sex Cult Allegations Against Orgasmic Meditation Company
- What time does 'The Golden Bachelorette' start? Premiere date, cast, where to watch and stream
- Billie Eilish tells fans to vote for Kamala Harris 'like your life depends on it, because it does'
- JD Souther, a singer-songwriter who penned hits for the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt, dies at 78
- Hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field can be fixed for about $55M in time for 2026 season, per report
- Partial lunar eclipse occurs during Harvest supermoon: See the stunning photos
- MLB playoff bracket 2024: Wild card matchups, AL and NL top seeds for postseason
- Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's 4 Kids Look So Grown Up in Back-to-School Photos
Recommendation
-
Why California takes weeks to count votes, while states like Florida are faster
-
College Football Playoff bracketology: SEC, Big Ten living up to expectations
-
Florence Pugh Confirms New Relationship 2 Years After Zach Braff Split
-
Good American Blowout Deals: Khloe Kardashian-Approved Styles Up to 78% Off With $22 Dresses
-
Advocacy group sues Tennessee over racial requirements for medical boards
-
Jason Kelce returns to Philly, Travis Kelce takes on Chiefs bias on 'New Heights' podcast
-
Police seek a pair who took an NYC subway train on a joyride and crashed it
-
Kate Middleton Reaches New Milestone After Completing Chemotherapy for Cancer