Who Broke The Law? Breonna Taylor's Case

The killing of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old African-American medical worker, by police officers in Louisville, Kentucky, in March 2020 sparked protests against police brutality and racism. While no officer has been charged with shooting Ms. Taylor, four current and former officers were federally charged with civil rights violations, conspiracy, use of excessive force, and obstruction in August 2022. One of the officers, Brett Hankison, was also charged with wanton endangerment for firing into a neighbour's apartment, but was acquitted of these charges in March 2022. The question of whether the cops who killed Breonna Taylor broke the law remains a subject of debate and has sparked widespread protests and calls for justice.

The cops were in plainclothes and didn't announce themselves

The police officers who killed Breonna Taylor were dressed in plainclothes and did not announce themselves before forcing entry into her home. This has been a point of contention, with the officers claiming they did announce themselves, while Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, and a neighbour say they did not. Walker, a licensed gun owner, believed the officers were intruders and fired his gun in their direction. One officer, Jonathan Mattingly, was hit in the leg, and the officers responded by firing 32 shots, six of which hit Taylor, resulting in her death.

The fact that the officers were in plainclothes and did not announce themselves is significant because it meant that Taylor and Walker had no way of knowing that they were, in fact, police officers. Walker has said that he and Taylor believed they were intruders and that he fired a warning shot in self-defence. This belief was reinforced by the fact that the officers used a battering ram to force entry into the apartment.

The New York Times interviewed a dozen neighbours, and only one of them, who was on the exterior staircase immediately above Taylor's apartment, heard the officers shout "Police!" once and knock at least three times. The other interviewed neighbours heard no announcement, including one who was outside smoking a cigarette. This contradicts the officers' claim that they announced themselves multiple times before entering the apartment.

The dispute over whether the officers announced themselves is crucial because it speaks to the question of whether their use of force was justified. The officers have argued that they returned fire in self-defence after being shot at by Walker. However, if they did not identify themselves as police officers, it is understandable that Walker and Taylor would perceive them as intruders and respond accordingly.

The fact that the officers were in plainclothes and did not announce themselves also raises questions about the planning and execution of the raid. It suggests that the officers may not have followed proper procedures and protocols for conducting a search or arrest. This is supported by the fact that no drugs or other contraband were found in Taylor's apartment, indicating that the information used to obtain the warrant may have been faulty or out of date.

In conclusion, the fact that the officers were in plainclothes and did not announce themselves is a critical aspect of the Breonna Taylor case. It calls into question the justification for the use of force by the officers and highlights potential issues with the planning and execution of the raid. The dispute over whether the officers announced themselves has been a point of contention and underscores the broader issues of police accountability and transparency.

Breonna Taylor's boyfriend, thinking they were intruders, fired a warning shot

On March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor was fatally shot in her Louisville, Kentucky apartment when at least seven police officers forced entry as part of a narcotics investigation. Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, was inside the apartment with her when the plainclothes officers knocked on the door and then forced entry.

Believing the officers to be intruders, Walker fired a warning shot in the direction of the officers, which he later described as "a shot at the ground". The shot hit officer Jonathan Mattingly in the leg, and the officers responded by firing 32 shots, including 16 from Myles Cosgrove in the doorway and 10 from Brett Hankison through a covered window and glass door. Walker was unharmed, but Taylor, who was stood behind Walker, was hit by six bullets and died.

Walker was initially charged with assault and attempted murder of a police officer, but the charges were dismissed with prejudice a year later. In June 2020, the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) fired Hankison for blindly firing through the covered patio door and window of Taylor's apartment. In September, the city of Louisville agreed to pay Taylor's family $12 million and reform police practices. Cosgrove was determined to have fired the fatal shot that killed Taylor, and in 2021, the LMPD fired him.

The cops fired 22-32 bullets in return, killing Taylor

The events of March 13, 2020, that led to the death of Breonna Taylor began when Louisville police officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove forced entry into her apartment using a battering ram. Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were asleep in the bedroom before the incident happened. Walker fired a warning shot, mistaking the police for intruders, wounding Mattingly in the leg. The three officers then returned fire, discharging 22-32 bullets.

During the incident, Hankison moved to the side of the apartment and fired 10 bullets through a covered window and glass door. In total, the officers' shots hit objects in the living room, dining room, kitchen, hallway, bathroom, and both bedrooms. Taylor was struck by five or six bullets in the hallway and pronounced dead at the scene. Cosgrove fired the shot that killed her. Walker was uninjured.

The death of Taylor by police officers, and the initial lack of charges against the officers involved, sparked numerous protests with supporters adopting the motto #SayHerName. These protests against police brutality and racism were concurrent with the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement across the United States.

No drugs were found in Taylor's home

The death of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black medical worker, at the hands of the police in Louisville, Kentucky, in March 2020, sparked widespread protests against racial injustice and policing in the United States. Taylor was shot and killed by police officers during a botched raid on her apartment.

The subsequent police report contained several errors, including listing Taylor's injuries as "none" and falsely stating that no force was used to enter the apartment, when in fact, a battering ram had been used.

The decision not to charge the officers involved in Taylor's death sparked outrage and protests in Louisville and across the country. While one officer, Brett Hankison, was charged with "wanton endangerment" for firing into a neighbour's apartment, no officers were charged for Taylor's death. This led to widespread criticism and calls for justice from Taylor's family, activists, and legal representatives.

The public outcry and ongoing investigations highlight the importance of accountability and trust in the criminal justice system, especially in cases involving police misconduct and racial injustice. The case of Breonna Taylor continues to be a pivotal moment in the ongoing struggle for racial equality and police reform in the United States.

The cops were charged with civil rights violations, not murder or manslaughter

The death of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old African-American medical worker, at the hands of the police in Louisville, Kentucky, in March 2020, sparked protests against police brutality and racism across the United States. Taylor was shot and killed by police officers who had forced their way into her home during a botched raid.

While no officer has ever been charged with shooting Ms. Taylor, four current and former police officers were charged with federal civil rights violations in August 2022. These were Joshua Jaynes, Kyle Meany, Brett Hankison, and Kelly Goodlett. The charges included conspiracy, use of excessive force, and obstruction, in addition to civil rights violations.

Brett Hankison was the only officer to face state criminal charges in connection with the raid. However, these charges were not directly related to Taylor's death but were for "wanton endangerment" for firing into a neighbour's apartment, endangering the lives of the family sleeping there. A state jury found him not guilty in March 2022.

In November 2024, a federal jury found Hankison guilty of violating Taylor's civil rights through his use of excessive force. Three other officers—Kyle Meany, Joshua Jaynes, and Kelly Goodlett—who were not present at the shooting, were federally charged with conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and civil rights violations for misleading the judge who approved the search warrant.

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