logo
Brett Hankison, former officer convicted in Breonna Taylor case, sentenced to 33 months in prison

Brett Hankison, former officer convicted in Breonna Taylor case, sentenced to 33 months in prison

CBS News5 days ago
Brett Hankison, a former Kentucky police officer who was convicted in the death of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician, was sentenced on Monday to 33 months in prison.
Taylor was shot and killed on March 13, 2020, during a botched drug raid authorized by the Louisville Metro Police Department. A Louisville detective at the time, Hankison, 46, was found guilty last November of violating Taylor's civil rights while executing a search warrant on her home, which resulted in the tragedy.
Hankison will not report directly to prison, with U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings saying during Monday's sentencing hearing that the Bureau of Prisons will decide when his sentence begins, according to The Associated Press. His prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised probation.
The Justice Department had requested in a sentencing memo following Hankison's conviction that he be sentenced with time served, which would be just one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Jennings said during the hearing that a sentence of no prison time for Hankison "is not appropriate," according to The Associated Press.
Jennings criticized the Justice Department's sentencing memo, calling it "incongruous and inappropriate," and saying the department treated Hankison's actions as "an inconsequential crime," AP reported.
"While today's sentence is not what we had hoped for — nor does it fully reflect the severity of the harm caused — it is more than what the Department of Justice sought. That, in itself, is a statement," attorneys representing Taylor's family said in a statement after the sentencing. "The jury found Brett Hankison guilty, and that verdict deserved to be met with real accountability."
"Tamika Palmer asked for a sentence consistent with federal guidelines and the law. We respect the court's decision, but we will continue to call out the DOJ's failure to stand firmly behind Breonna's rights and the rights of every Black woman whose life is treated as expendable," the attorneys said.
The sentence hearing drew a crowd outside the federal courthouse in downtown Louisville, and at least four people, including Taylor's aunt, Bianca Austin, were detained Monday afternoon, CBS affiliate WLKY reported.
Police said individuals were "creating confrontation, kicking vehicles" and "creating an unsafe environment." It wasn't immediately clear what charges would be filed.
There were also protesters when a federal jury in Louisville convicted Hankison on one count of civil rights abuse last year. He was accused of depriving Taylor of her constitutional rights when he, separate from other officers with him at the scene, used excessive force to fire multiple shots through a sliding glass door and window on the side of her building, despite both being covered by blinds and curtains.
The jury found that Hankison used a dangerous weapon when he committed the offense and that his actions involved an attempt to kill, although the shots he fired did not strike Taylor, the Department of Justice said after his conviction. He also faced a second count for allegedly depriving Taylor's neighbors of their constitutional rights, as his bullets pierced through the walls and narrowly missed a family of three in the adjacent apartment, but jurors found him not guilty on that charge.
Hankison had pleaded not guilty to each of the charges.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Taylor's family, had called the Justice Department's request for minimal sentencing "an insult to the life of Breonna Taylor and a blatant betrayal of the jury's decision."
"This sets a dangerous precedent," Crump said in a statement responding to the memo. "When a police officer is found guilty of violating someone's constitutional rights, there must be real accountability and justice. Recommending just one day in prison sends the unmistakable message that white officers can violate the civil rights of Black Americans with near-total impunity."
Taylor's death sparked a national outcry and contributed significantly to a period of public reckoning that followed over what critics said was systemic racial injustice and police brutality in the U.S. After she was killed, police found no evidence of narcotics inside her home.
Evidence presented during Hankison's trial showed that he and two colleagues, former Louisville officers Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove, arrived at Taylor's home at 12:45 a.m. on the night of the fatal shooting, while she and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were asleep. Believing intruders were breaking into the residence, Walker fired one shot from his own gun toward the officers he had mistaken for civilian trespassers. The shot wounded Mattingly and prompted all three officers to open fire into the apartment.
Two other Louisville officers, former detective Joshua Jaynes and former Sgt. Kyle Meany, also face charges over Taylor's death. Jaynes and Meany are charged with federal civil rights offenses and obstruction of justice for their involvement in the preparing and authorizing of an affidavit for the search warrant that ultimately led to the shooting.
Another former Louisville officer, Kelly Goodlett, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy for helping Jaynes and Meany obtain the warrant. Trials for Jaynes and Meany have yet to take place.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The Democratic Party's Brand Is Cooked
The Democratic Party's Brand Is Cooked

Yahoo

timea minute ago

  • Yahoo

The Democratic Party's Brand Is Cooked

Voters have increasingly little faith in the Democrats, a new Wall Street Journal poll found, with the party reaching its lowest favorability rating in more than three decades. Voters overwhelmingly believe that Republicans are better able to handle key issues in Congress than Democrats. The survey found that the majority of voters, 63 percent, have an unfavorable view of the Democratic Party. Only 33 percent hold a favorable view. This is the most unpopular that Democrats have been according to Journal polls dating back to 1990. As President Donald Trump enacts an increasingly authoritarian agenda and provides little economic benefit to the average American, Democrats are hopeful anti-Trump backlash will give them a strong showing in the 2026 midterm election. While slightly more people expect to vote for Democrats next year than Republicans, according to the Journal poll, Democrats' overall favorability has only dropped since Trump took office. 'The Democratic brand is so bad that they don't have the credibility to be a critic of Trump or the Republican Party,' John Anzalone, a Democratic pollster who worked on the survey, told the Journal. 'Until they reconnect with real voters and working people on who they're for and what their economic message is, they're going to have problems.' Anzalone's firm, which consulted for both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaigns, worked on the survey with Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio. According to the survey, voters think Republicans in Congress are more capable at handling the economy, inflation and rising prices, tariffs, immigration, 'illegal' immigration, the Russia-Ukraine war, and foreign policy. On the topic of 'illegal' immigration, 48 percent have their faith in Republicans and 24 percent choose Democrats. Democrats scored higher on health care and vaccine policy. Both parties tied at 37 percent on the issue of looking out for middle class families. 'As much as I fully believe that Democrats are not doomed for all eternity, I also believe that many Democrats aren't quite grappling with the serious credibility problems the party still faces,' Democratic operative Tré Easton posted on X. 'The podcasts and everything are real cute, but we've got work to do.' Democrats also scored low in a Quinnipiac poll released earlier this month. In that survey, approval of congressional Democrats reached a new low of 19 percent, with 72 percent of voters saying they disapproved. 'This is a record low since March 2009 when the Quinnipiac University Poll first began asking this question of registered voters,' the university wrote. The Quinnippiac poll found that even registered Democrats disapproved of the party: Thirty-nine percent approved of how Democrats in Congress were handling their jobs, while 52 percent disapproved. Among registered Republicans, 77 percent approved of how Republicans are operating in Congress. In the findings from the Journal, voters are mixed on Trump. About half, or 55 percent, of voters say the country is headed in the wrong direction. This is down from 70 percent in January, meaning voters have become more optimistic since Trump took office, yet Trump is not wildly popular. He has a favorability rating of 45 percent, and an unfavorability rating of 52 percent. A total of 46 percent approve of what Trump is doing as president, and 52 percent disapprove. Fifty-three percent disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy, while 44 percent approve. On the issues of inflation, tariffs, immigration, looking out for middle class families, health care, vaccine policy, foreign policy, and the Russia-Ukraine war, voters disapprove of the job Trump is doing. On the topic of 'illegal' immigration, though, 51 percent approve and 49 percent disapprove. The Republican Party is not wildly popular either, though, with 54 percent of voters having an unfavorable view, compared to the 43 percent who have a favorable view. More from Rolling Stone Trump Claims Someone May Have Forged His Signature on Birthday Letter to Epstein I Worked With Stephen Colbert. Here's Why His Cancellation Should Scare You Yes, America Is an Oligarchy Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence

Trump Is Days Away From Securing His Questionable Air Force One Jet From Qatar
Trump Is Days Away From Securing His Questionable Air Force One Jet From Qatar

Yahoo

timea minute ago

  • Yahoo

Trump Is Days Away From Securing His Questionable Air Force One Jet From Qatar

President Donald Trump is days away from getting a $400 million 'gift' from a foreign nation. The U.S. government is expected to finalize an agreement with Qatar next week to receive a Boeing 747 aircraft to be used as Air Force One, The Washington Post reported Friday. A July 7 communication reviewed by The Post and signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, confirms that Qatar will give the 'donation' to the Department of Defense. The deal, months in the making, raises legal, ethical and national security concerns. While the U.S. Constitution forbids anyone holding public office from accepting gifts from foreign governments without approval from Congress, Republicans have largely shrugged off the deal. 'Can't beat free,' Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) told reporters when asked about the offer in May. Trump, who has referred to the jet as a 'palace in the sky,' predictably feels the same way. 'Why wouldn't I accept a free gift?' Trump asked Fox News' Sean Hannity in May while aboard the current Air Force One. The ethical ramifications are so apparent that even the document reviewed by The Post appears to take extra effort to explicitly state that this isn't a bribe. 'Nothing in this [memorandum of understanding] is, or shall be interpreted or construed as, an offer, promise or acceptance of any form of bribery, undue influence, or corrupt practice,' the document reportedly said. The jet would become the new presidential plane until the end of Trump's term before being turned over to Trump's presidential library foundation. However, even before it can be used, the U.S. Air Force will likely spend hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money on renovating the plane — a process that could take years. Trump has made clear he'll accept 'gifts' from any nation willing to give them. At a White House meeting in May, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa jokingly told Trump he was 'sorry I don't have a plane to give you.' 'I wish you did,' Trump responded. 'I'd take it. If your country offered the United States Air Force a plane, I would take it.'

Trump administration pushes states to exclude immigrant students from in-state tuition
Trump administration pushes states to exclude immigrant students from in-state tuition

Politico

time3 minutes ago

  • Politico

Trump administration pushes states to exclude immigrant students from in-state tuition

Discounting tuition for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children has a long bipartisan history. Texas' law was signed by Republican then-Gov. Rick Perry and 23 red and blue states, plus the District of Columbia, followed, a political mood that's now reversing: Florida repealed its 2014 in-state tuition law this February. There are about 408,000 undocumented students representing less than 2 percent of those in college. The Justice Department argues these tuition laws unfairly offer a benefit to foreigners that is unavailable to U.S. citizens and legal residents living in a neighboring state. The legal offensive to roll back these laws, which is poised to spread, serves as another sign of how thoroughly the second Trump administration is going about enacting the president's promise to discourage illegal immigration and promote 'self-deportation.' 'This was something that used to not be political,' Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, said of the in-state tuition policies for undocumented students. 'It was the idea that if this is the only country you've ever known, that more than likely you will be here your entire life, and we should want you to be educated and productive.' But Kentucky's Republican attorney general, Russell Coleman, sided with Trump this summer, urging the state's council on postsecondary education to 'withdraw its regulation rather than litigate what I believe will be, and should be, a losing fight.' Texas, the first state the DOJ targeted with a lawsuit this year, ended its policy in coordination with the White House. The maneuver came after Attorney General Ken Paxton entered into a joint motion with the Justice Department, agreeing that providing in-state tuition to undocumented students wasn't constitutional. 'In-state tuition for illegal immigrants in Texas has ended,' Republican Gov. Greg Abbott wrote in a post on X last month. The policies are crumbling at a time when college enrollment — and the tuition dollars it brings in — fell about 15 percent between 2010 and 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics' most recent report.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store