Brett Hankinson Sentenced to 33 Months Jail

Brett Hankinson sentenced to nearly three years for his role...

Former Louisville Officer Sentenced to 33 Months in Breonna Taylor Case

Brett Hankison, a former Louisville Metro Police officer, has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for his role in the botched 2020 drug raid that led to the death of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician.

The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings, also includes three years of supervised release following his prison term.

The incident occurred on March 13, 2020, when officers executed a late-night search warrant at Taylor’s apartment. Believing intruders were breaking in, Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired one shot, injuring an officer.

In response, officers opened fire, killing Taylor. Though Hankison’s bullets did not strike her, a jury found that his use of force—firing blindly through a covered window and door—violated her civil rights.

Hankison, 46, was convicted last year of using excessive force. The Department of Justice had recommended a sentence of just one day in prison, a suggestion Judge Jennings strongly criticized as “inappropriate” and minimizing the severity of Hankison’s actions. Taylor’s family and civil rights attorney Ben Crump also condemned the DOJ’s recommendation, calling it a betrayal of justice.

“While today’s sentence is not all we hoped for, it is more than what the DOJ requested, and that alone speaks volumes,” Taylor’s family attorneys said in a statement.

The sentencing drew demonstrators outside the Louisville courthouse, where several people, including Taylor’s aunt, were detained.

Protesters have consistently voiced outrage since the initial verdict, highlighting ongoing concerns about racial injustice and police accountability.

Hankison had pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was acquitted of a second count involving endangering Taylor’s neighbors, despite bullets entering an adjacent apartment.

Other officers involved in the case, including those who helped obtain the search warrant, are still awaiting trial on federal charges related to civil rights violations and obstruction.

Breonna Taylor’s death became a rallying point in the national movement for police reform, shining a spotlight on issues of racial inequality and excessive force in law enforcement.