Former Kentucky police officer convicted of using excessive force against Breonna Taylor in deadly raid

A federal jury on Friday convicted a former Kentucky police detective of using excessive force against Breonna Taylor during the botched 2020 drug raid that resulted in her death.

The 12-member jury returned its verdict in the evening after acquitting Brett Hankison in the afternoon of an allegation that he used excessive force against Taylor’s neighbors.

It was the first conviction of a Louisville police officer involved in the deadly raid.

Some jurors cried during the reading of the verdict, around 9:30 p.m. They had previously indicated to the judge in two separate messages that they were at an impasse over the allegation of use of excessive force against Taylor, but they agreed to continue deliberating. The jury, made up of six men and six women, argued the case for more than 20 hours over three days.

Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, celebrated the ruling with friends outside the courthouse. “It took a long time. It required a lot of patience. It was difficult. “The jurors took their time to really understand that Breonna deserved justice,” he said.

Hankison fired 10 shots into Taylor’s glass door and windows during the operation, but hit no one. Some shots reached the adjacent apartment.

The death of the 26-year-old Black woman, along with the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis in May 2020, sparked national protests against racial injustice.

Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., called the ruling “a long-awaited moment of accountability.”

“While Breonna cannot be returned to her family, it is a crucial step in the search for justice and a reminder that no one should be above the law,” King noted in a social media post Friday night.

Another jury had failed to reach a verdict on federal charges against Hankison last year. The former officer had been acquitted of state charges of reckless homicide.

Hankison’s conviction carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. He will be sentenced on March 12 by US District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings.

Hankison, 48, alleged during the trial that he was acting to protect his companions after Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, shot them when they broke down the door of the house with a battering ram.

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channels YouTube, WhatsApp and to newsletter. Turn on notifications and follow us on Facebook, x and instagram.