Breonna Taylor: Fury as no police charged directly over fatal shooting in Louisville

A woman visits the memorial for Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky
REUTERS
Ellena Cruse23 September 2020
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The lawyer for Breonna Taylor's family has branded a grand jury’s decision to bring no charges against police for her killing as “outrageous and offensive.”

Prosecutors on Wednesday said that two officers who fired their weapons at Ms Taylor were justified in using force to protect themselves.

The only charges brought were three counts of wanton endangerment against fired officer Brett Hankison for shooting into Ms Taylor's neighbours' homes during the raid in Louisville, Kentucky, on March 13.

Benjamin Crump, a civil rights lawyer representing the Taylor family, said it was “outrageous” that none of the officers would be criminally charged for Ms Taylor’s death.

File photo provided by the Louisville Metro Police Department of officer Brett Hankison
AP

He said: "Brett Hankison with 3 (sic) counts of Wanton Endangerment in 1st Degree for bullets that went into other apartments but NOTHING for the murder of Breonna Taylor.

"This is outrageous and offensive!"

"If Brett Hankison's behaviour was wanton endangerment to people in neighbouring apartments, then it should have been wanton endangerment in Breonna Taylor's apartment too. In fact, it should have been ruled wanton murder!"

The FBI is still investigating potential violations of federal law in the case.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced the Louisville grand jury’s decision at a news conference as protesters against racial injustice and police brutality massed on the city's streets.

Former detective Hankison’s indictment for wanton endangerment in the first degree represents the lowest level felony crime in Kentucky and carries a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison.

Breonna Taylor 
Courtesy of Family of Breonna Taylor

Ms Taylor, 26, was killed in front of her armed boyfriend shortly after midnight on March 13 at her Louisville apartment after Hankison and his two colleagues forced their way in with a so-called 'no knock' warrant.

The two other officers, Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove, were not charged because they were justified under Kentucky law in returning fire after Ms Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, shot at them, wounding Mattingly in the thigh, Cameron said.

“There is no doubt that this is a gut-wrenching, emotional case,” Attorney General Cameron said at a news conference.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron addresses the media following the return of a grand jury investigation (AP)

Hankison fired his weapon 10 times. Some of the bullets travelled through Ms Taylor’s apartment into adjacent apartment three, where a man, a pregnant woman and a child were at home.

There was “no conclusive” evidence that any of Hankison’s bullets hit Ms Taylor, the Attorney General added.

Organisers of the protests against police brutality that have become a daily occurrence expressed frustration at the outcome.

People react after a decision in the criminal case against police officers involved in the death of 
REUTERS

About 400 protesters wound their way out of downtown Louisville’s Jefferson Square Park and marched through the streets chanting, “Out of the homes, into the streets!”

“Tonight, tempers may flare,” said community organiser Reece Chenault, 40.

“People are going to be sad and I think you are going to see a lot of tears with folks who are marching.”

Ahead of the announcement, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced a 72-hour curfew for the city beginning at 9 pm.

“I urge everybody to choose peaceful and lawful protest," he said

Louisville has agreed to pay $12 million to Ms Taylor’s family to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit, the mayor announced earlier this month.

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