Brett Hankison Convicted in Breonna Taylor Case

Brett Hankison, a former Kentucky police officer, was convicted of civil rights abuse related to the 2020 death of Breonna Taylor, marking the first conviction of an officer involved in the botched raid that resulted in her death. A federal jury found that Hankison used excessive force by firing blindly into Taylor's apartment, though his shots did not hit her directly. The raid, which took place on March 13, 2020, resulted in Taylor being struck by police gunfire after her boyfriend fired a warning shot, believing they were intruders. This conviction comes amidst ongoing scrutiny of police practices and racial justice movements sparked by Taylor's death and that of George Floyd. Hankison now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, while two other officers are charged with falsifying a search warrant related to the raid. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke emphasized the Justice Department's commitment to defending civil rights against unlawful police violence.