A Kentucky police officer, Brett Hankison, has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for violating Breonna Taylor’s rights during the botched raid that led to her death five years ago, in March 2020. The raid was carried out using a contentious no-knock warrant. The officers shot and killed Taylor, a Black woman, in her home. The tragic event, coupled with the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, spurred widespread calls for police reform and led to nationwide and international protests for justice and accountability.
Taylor’s family, represented by civil rights attorneys, welcomed the sentencing but had hoped for a more severe punishment. They acknowledged that while the sentence was not as harsh as they wished for, it exceeded the Department of Justice’s recommendation to the judge.
During the court hearing, it was disclosed that Taylor and her boyfriend, believing they were being burglarized, had heard noises at their door. In response, her boyfriend fired a shot that wounded a police officer. In retaliation, law enforcement officers fired back, leading to Taylor’s death. Her mother stated that she felt a part of her was lost that day.
Hankison is the only officer convicted in relation to the incident. He fired 10 shots during the raid but struck no one. Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings expressed disbelief at the lack of more serious injuries given Hankison’s blind gunfire. In addition to nearly three years in prison, Hankison will also be under supervised release for three years.
The sentencing came despite the Trump administration’s Justice Department recommending no additional prison time, arguing that Hankison did not shoot Taylor and was not responsible for her death. Judge Jennings disagreed with this stance, stating that the recommendation treated the shooting as if it was an inconsequential crime and undermined the jury’s previous verdict that found Hankison guilty of excessive force.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/us-ex-officer-sentenced-to-prison-over-breonna-taylor-raid/a-73360794?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
