A federal judge rejects DOJ’s recommendation of a one-day sentence for Brett Hankison, while Taylor’s family and advocates say it’s not justice—but it’s a start.
By Essence News Editors
Essence
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Brett Hankison, the former Louisville police officer who fired blindly into Breonna Taylor’s apartment during a 2020 raid that led to her death, was sentenced Monday to 33 months in federal prison.
A federal jury found Hankison guilty last year of using excessive force and violating Taylor’s constitutional rights. He fired 10 rounds through covered glass. None struck Taylor, but prosecutors said his reckless actions endangered her and her neighbors.
U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings rejected the Justice Department’s request that Hankison receive just one day in prison, saying that no prison time “is not appropriate” and would undercut the jury’s November verdict, according to the Associated Press.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who helped Taylor’s family win a $12 million settlement, called the DOJ’s recommendation “an insult to the life of Breonna Taylor and a blatant betrayal of the jury’s decision.”
Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, urged the judge not to go easy on the officer. “It was not justice,” she told CNN after the verdict. “But I got what I started out for—jail time, so it’s a start.”
Hankison’s attorneys sought leniency, citing threats and harassment he endured after Taylor’s death gained national attention. They said he is vulnerable due to his status as a police officer and the intense media spotlight.
Hankison is the only officer convicted in connection with the botched raid that led to Taylor’s death. He was previously acquitted on state charges and only found guilty in federal court after two attempts—the first ending in a mistrial.
Taylor, a 26-year-old ER technician, died when Louisville officers executed a late-night no-knock warrant at her home as part of a drug case involving her ex-boyfriend, who did not live there. Her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker III, fired one shot, believing intruders were breaking in, and officers returned fire, striking Taylor.
Taylor’s death fueled 2020 racial justice uprisings and became a flashpoint for national police reform. While Hankison’s sentencing is a rare conviction, many say it still falls short of full justice.
