Civil rights trial of ex-officer linked to Breonna Taylor's death set to begin
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Bianca Austin wears a sweater and necklace with a photo of her niece Breonna Taylor during an unveiling of a Breonna Taylor painting in Louisville, Kentucky. Photo: Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images
The federal trial for the former Louisville Metro Police detective linked to the killing of Breonna Taylor is scheduled to begin Monday after months of delays.
Why it matters: Brett Hankison is facing federal civil rights charges after he was acquitted by a state jury of felony wanton endangerment last year in connection with the 2o2o deadly raid of Taylor's apartment.
The big picture: The murder of Taylor drew international attention alongside the killing of George Floyd during the 2020 national racial recking protests.
- Hankison was the only officer to face state charges in the killing and was indicted last year along with three other officers by the Department of Justice following a two-year investigation.
Details: Federal prosecutors say Hankison, 47, fired his service weapon into Taylor's apartment through a covered window and covered glass door in violation of her civil rights.
- Hankison also deprived three of Taylor's neighbors of their constitutional rights by firing shots through a sliding glass door that was covered with blinds and a curtain, prosecutors allege.
- Two civil rights charges allege that Hankison willfully used unconstitutionally excessive force.
- He has pleaded not guilty.
Background: The DOJ said Louisville police officers broke into Taylor's home in a March 2020 raid with a falsified "no-knock" search warrant for a drug investigation.
- Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said they knocked and announced their presence, but her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, and some neighbors said they didn't hear anything of the sort. Walker has said he thought the officers were intruders.
- Officers used a police battering ram to break down her door even though she was not the main suspect and shot Taylor at least eight times after Walker fired his gun.
- Taylor was alive for at least 20 minutes after officers shot her and did not receive medical attention even though she showed signs of life, according to Walker and police dispatch logs.
Zoom out: Former detective Kelly Goodlett pleaded guilty last year to federal charges of falsifying a search warrant and trying to cover up what happened.
- Former Louisville detective Joshua Jaynes and former Sgt. Kyle Meany also are facing federal civil rights and obstruction charges. Prosecutors say they approved a false search warrant affidavit that resulted in Taylor's death.
Between the lines: The lack of initial charges in Taylor's killing highlighted the absence of accountability officers face for misconduct and excessive force, driving the national push for massive police reform.
- Cameron, a Republican, had concluded in late 2020 that the use of force by the Louisville officers was "justified" under Kentucky law, adding to the national outrage.
Don't forget: Federal legislation around police reform remains stalled in a divided Congress, but state reforms in recent months have allowed some courts to convict officers for misconduct, a phenomenon that used to be extremely rare.
Go deeper: Breonna Taylor's boyfriend gets $2 million settlement over shooting
