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Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Sentencing hearing set for ex-Kentucky officer convicted in Breonna Taylor raid
Though the sentence could amount to several years, if U.S. District Judge Grady Jennings heeds the Justice Department's request, it would mean none of the Louisville police officers involved in the raid would face prison time. Advertisement Last week, the U.S. Justice Department recommended no prison time for Hankison, in an abrupt about-face by federal prosecutors that has angered critics after the department spent years prosecuting the former detective. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The Justice Department, which has changed leadership under President Donald Trump since Hankison's conviction, said in a sentencing memo last week that 'there is no need for a prison sentence to protect the public' from Hankison. Federal prosecutors suggested time already served, which amounts to one day, and three years of supervised probation. Prosecutors at his previous federal trials aggressively pursued a conviction against Hankison, 49, arguing that he blindly fired 10 shots into Taylor's windows without identifying a target. Taylor was shot in her hallway by two other officers after her boyfriend fired from inside the apartment, striking an officer in the leg. Neither of the other officers was charged in state or federal court after prosecutors deemed they were justified in returning fire into the apartment. Louisville police used a drug warrant to enter the apartment, but found no drugs or cash inside. Advertisement A separate jury deadlocked on federal charges against Hankison in 2023, and he was acquitted on state charges of wanton endangerment in 2022. In their recent sentencing memo, federal prosecutors wrote that though Hankison's 'response in these fraught circumstances was unreasonable given the benefit of hindsight, that unreasonable response did not kill or wound Breonna Taylor, her boyfriend, her neighbors, defendant's fellow officers, or anyone else.' Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who helped Taylor's family secure a $12 million wrongful death settlement against the city of Louisville, has called the Justice Department recommendation 'an insult to the life of Breonna Taylor and a blatant betrayal of the jury's decision.' He added in a social media post that it 'sends the unmistakable message that white officers can violate the civil rights of Black Americans with near-total impunity.' On Monday, the Louisville Metro Police Department arrested four people in front of the courthouse who it said were 'creating confrontation, kicking vehicles, or otherwise creating an unsafe environment.' Authorities didn't list the charges those arrested would face. 'We understand this case caused pain and damaged trust between our department and the community,' a police statement said. 'We particularly respect and value the 1st Amendment. However, what we saw today in front of the courthouse in the street was not safe, acceptable or legal.' A U.S. Probation Office presentencing report said Hankison should face a range of 135 to 168 months imprisonment on the excessive force conviction, according to the memo. But federal prosecutors said multiple factors — including that Hankison's two other trials ended with no convictions — should greatly reduce the potential punishment. Advertisement The memorandum was submitted by Harmeet Dhillon, chief of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and a Trump political appointee who in May moved to cancel settlements with Louisville and Minneapolis that had called for overhauling their police departments. In the Taylor case, three other ex-Louisville police officers have been charged with crafting a falsified warrant, but have not gone to trial. None were at the scene when Taylor was shot.
USA Today
2 days ago
- USA Today
Breonna Taylor's aunt handcuffed outside courthouse ahead of ex-detective's sentencing
Bianca Austin, aunt of Breonna Taylor, was among at least three people led away in handcuffs in downtown Louisville as protestors awaited the sentencing of former Louisville Metro Police Department detective Brett Hankison. The ex-officer is set to be sentenced on July 21 after a federal jury last year found him guilty of violating Taylor's civil rights. The 26-year-old Black woman was killed during a botched raid on her home, and her death sparked nationwide demonstrations for equality in 2020. In video captured by The Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, Austin was seen standing in outside the Gene Snyder Federal Building as cars continued to try to move down the street. It was unclear if she was detained or fully arrested. Police officials have not responded to attempts to confirm Austin's status, but she was not listed among current inmates at the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections as of 3:45 p.m. July 21. Video captured by other news media from outside the courthouse shows another person standing in front of a Louisville Water truck and jumping on its hood. That person was later seen also being handcuffed and led to a police cruiser. Who is Brett Hankison? Hankison is one of the officers involved in the raid that killed Taylor in March 2020. He fired 10 rounds into Taylor's apartment through a covered glass door and window. Three of those rounds traveled into a neighboring apartment with a man, pregnant woman and 5-year-old inside. None of the rounds fired by Hankison hit Taylor or any of the neighbors. In a sentencing memorandum filed July 16, the U.S. Department of Justice recommended Hankison receive a one-day prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release and a $100 fine. The sentence would be considered time served since Hankison would earn credit for the day he was booked and made his initial appearance in court. The recommendation has drawn pushback from some community members who argue the sentence would be too lenient considering the gravity of the conviction. Hankison faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Reporter N'dea Yancey-Bragg and photojournalist Jeff Faughender contributed. Contact reporter Killian Baarlaer at kbaarlaer@ or @bkillian72 on X.
NBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Breonna Taylor's family is 'heartbroken' over one-day sentence recommendation for ex-cop
The mother of Breonna Taylor, the Kentucky woman fatally shot by a police officer during a 2020 botched raid on her home, is "heartbroken and angry" by the government's recommendation not to seek jail time for the ex-cop who blindly fired 10 bullets into her daughter's room. The Department of Justice said last week that former Louisville Metro Police Department detective Brett Hankison — who was convicted of deprivation of rights under color of law in November — did not need to face jail time and should be sentenced to a single day in prison since he poses no threat to the public. Hankison is due to be sentenced on Monday afternoon in Louisville, and Taylor's family is urging the judge in the case to ignore the DOJ recommendation and impose a tougher sentence. "The family asked for one thing: that Brett Hankison be sentenced in accordance with the law and federal guidelines. Instead, Tamika Palmer is left, once again, heartbroken and angry," attorneys for Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, including Ben Crump, Lonita Baker, and Sam Aguiar, said in a Sunday statement. Federal prosecutors said Hankison fired through a window and a sliding glass door that was covered with a curtain and blinds. The shots hit a wall and traveled into an apartment next door, but did not hit Taylor. Taylor was killed by shots from other officers, who were not charged because they were returning fire when Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired as police breached the apartment. In the Sunday statement, Taylor's lawyers called Hankison's sentence recommendation an "insult" that sets a "dangerous precedent" in how civil rights or Black people are maintained. "It is unfathomable that, after finally securing a conviction, the Department of Justice would seek a sentence so drastically below the federal guidelines," the statement added. The legal team said that recommending a single day in prison "sends the unmistakable message that white officers can violate the civil rights of Black Americans with near-total impunity." The attorneys said Palmer still hopes that the judge will "do what the DOJ has refused to do — uphold the law, respect the jury's verdict, and deliver true justice for Breonna Taylor."
NBC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Trump Justice Department seeks one day in prison for ex-officer in Breonna Taylor case
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is seeking no prison time for a former officer who blindly shot into Breonna Taylor's home during a botched 2020 raid that sparked a federal inquiry into policing in Louisville, Kentucky. Brett Hankison, a former Louisville Metro Police Department detective whose shots did not strike Taylor, was convicted of deprivation of rights under color of law in November. Federal prosecutors said he fired 10 shots through a window and a sliding glass door that were covered with blinds and curtains. Multiple bullets traveled through the wall and into an apartment next door but did not hit anyone. The officers who fired the shots that killed Taylor were not charged, as they were returning fire when Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired shots as the police breached the apartment. In a sentencing memo filed Thursday, the Justice Department wrote that 'reasonable minds might disagree as to whether defendant Hankison's conduct constituted a seizure under the Fourth Amendment in the first place' and that there 'is no need for a prison sentence to protect the public from defendant.' A judge ruled in February that the evidence was sufficient for a jury to believe that Taylor was still alive when Hankinson fired the first five bullets through the bedroom window. The sentencing memo seeks one day of incarceration, which is the length of time that Hankison spent behind bars when he was initially booked on charges. No career line prosecutors from the Justice Department signed off on the sentencing memo. The memo is instead signed by Trump administration official Robert J. Keenan, senior counsel for the Civil Rights Division, who was involved in the Justice Department's effort to undo a jury verdict that found a former Los Angeles County deputy guilty of a felony charge in an excessive force case. The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has seen a massive overhaul since Trump took office in January, where policy and personnel changes have led to a mass exodus. The Justice Department 'is unaware of another prosecution in which a police officer has been charged with depriving the rights of another person under the Fourth Amendment for returning fire and not injuring anyone,' according to the memo. The memo states that "two federal trials were ultimately necessary to obtain a unanimous verdict of guilt" and that, even then, "the jury convicted on only one count," even though the elements of the charge and underlying conduct were essentially the same. Hankison was acquitted on a state charge. 'Here, multiple prosecutions against defendant Hankison were brought, and only one of three juries — the last one — found him guilty on these facts, and then only on one charge," the memo states. "The government respects the jury's verdict, which will almost certainly ensure that defendant Hankison never serves as a law enforcement officer again and will also likely ensure that he never legally possesses a firearm again.' Hankison is scheduled to be sentenced on July 21.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
Louisville detective shares final wishes before passing from cancer battle
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) — The Louisville Metro Police Department is mourning the loss of one of its own after her battle with cancer. On Tuesday, June 10, the Louisville Metro Police Foundation announced the death of Detective Michelle Rusch after over a decade of serving the Louisville community through the Crimes Against Children Unit. Read more of the latest Kentucky news 'The loss of Detective Rusch is deeply felt throughout our department. She was not only a respected colleague but also a cherished friend. Her absence leaves a void that cannot be filled,' the Louisville Metro Police Department said. She was recently recognized by the Children's Advocacy Centers of Kentucky and Attorney General Russell Coleman as a Legendary Partner of 2025. The foundation said this was 'a powerful reminder of the lives she touched and the difference she made.' Rusch's husband, Kent, also serves as a detective for the department. 'Together, Michelle and Kent are the embodiment of service, two heroes who gave so much to protect others, all while raising three wonderful children,' the foundation wrote. In her final days, the foundation said that Rusch affirmed she only had two wishes. Off-duty Kentucky police officer charged with DUI in Hardin County Kentucky school resource officers highlighted for service Bill could make federal minimum wage $15: Kentucky among states paying less than that 'That she be remembered for all the good work she had done with the LMPD and that her family would be taken care of,' the Louisville Metro Police Foundation wrote. 'We are asking for your help to make her wishes come true, to honor her legacy, and to support the family she loved so much.' Click here for more information on how you can help. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
