LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A jury started deliberations Monday afternoon on the federal trial of a former Louisville police detective accused of violating Breonna Taylor’s civil rights via opening fireplace on her condo the evening she used to be killed right through a botched raid.
The jury won the case on an afternoon when the previous officer, Brett Hankison, used to be grilled via a federal prosecutor over his movements on the time the 26-year-old Black lady used to be killed. Taylor used to be shot to loss of life via police when they knocked down the door of her condo on March 13, 2020.
Federal prosecutors are making an attempt to do what Kentucky prosecutors couldn’t — convict Hankison for his movements at the evening Taylor used to be fatally shot. Last yr, the previous officer used to be acquitted by a jury at a state trial of wanton endangerment fees.
A federal prosecutor stated in ultimate arguments Monday that Hankison “sent bullets flying” into Taylor’s condo and an adjacent condo. Jurors heard previous that none of the photographs he fired struck any individual, in spite of rounds straying into any other condo the place a pair with a kid lived.
Prosecutor Michael Songer stated that Hankison’s movements “dishonored” different law enforcement officials, including that the position of police is to give protection to human existence and that Hankison knew that “firing blindly was wrong.”
Hankison used to be one of 4 officials who have been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice remaining yr with violating Taylor’s civil rights, accused of endangering Taylor, her boyfriend and Taylor’s neighbors, who shared a wall together with her condo.
The two counts of civil rights violations towards him lift a most penalty of existence in jail if he’s convicted.
Defense legal professional Stewart Mathews, in his ultimate arguments, advised jurors to imagine what Hankison encountered — the “chaos he was surrounded with.”
“He reacted by trying to protect the lives of his fellow officers and himself,” Mathews stated.
Hankison’s reaction to “what he perceived was reasonable, not criminal,” Mathews added.
Earlier, below wondering from his legal professional, Hankison stated he opened fire to “stop the threat” posed via the shooter in Taylor’s condo. He did so, he stated, to “defend my life” and the lives of his fellow officials. His feedback wrapped up testimony in the trial.
Taylor used to be shot to loss of life via officials who have been executing a drug seek warrant, which used to be later discovered to be incorrect. Taylor’s boyfriend fired a unmarried shot that hit one of the officials as they got here in the course of the door of the condo, and officials returned fireplace, placing Taylor in the condo hallway a couple of instances. The different 32 bullets fired in the raid got here from police, investigators made up our minds.
When gunfire erupted, Hankison ran to the facet of the condo and sprayed bullets via Taylor’s home windows. Officers discovered no medication or lengthy weapons in Taylor’s condo.
Earlier, below wondering from a federal prosecutor Monday, Hankison testified he didn’t see a shooter when he fired via Taylor’s coated window and sliding door, and stated he didn’t know precisely the place the shooter used to be throughout the condo, however noticed muzzle flashes from gunfire. Hankison stated in previous testimony that he may see a shooter in the hallway ahead of he rounded the nook of the condo and fired into the glass door and home windows.
Taylor’s killing at the side of George Floyd’s death by the hands of Minnesota police in 2020 ignited protests that summer time across the nation over racial injustice and police brutality. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland introduced the federal indictments in the Taylor case in August 2022, remarking that Taylor “should be alive today.”