Judge gives ex-officer nearly 3 years in Breonna Taylor raid, rebuffs DOJ call for no prison time
Last edited Mon Jul 21, 2025, 08:30 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: AP
Updated 8:24 PM EDT, July 21, 2025
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) —
A federal judge on Monday sentenced a former Kentucky police officer to nearly three years in prison for using excessive force during the deadly 2020 Breonna Taylor raid, rebuffing a U.S. Department of Justice recommendation of no prison time for the defendant.
Brett Hankison, who fired 10 shots during the raid but didn’t hit anyone, was the only officer on the scene charged in the Black woman’s death. He is the first person sentenced to prison in the case that rocked the city of Louisville and spawned weeks of street protests over police brutality that year.
U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings, in sentencing Hankison, said no prison time “is not appropriate” and would minimize the jury’s verdict from November. Jennings said she was “startled” there weren’t more people injured in the raid from Hankison’s blind shots.
She sentenced Hankison, 49, to 33 months in prison for a conviction of use of excessive force and three years of supervised probation after the prison term. He will not report directly to prison. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons will determine where and when he starts his sentence, Jennings said.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/breonna-taylor-raid-hankison-sentence-4da93877da13f506be42cc1c738cab2b
Article updated.
Previous articles -
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) --
A federal judge on Monday sentenced a former Kentucky police officer to nearly three years in prison for using excessive force during the deadly Breonna Taylor raid five years ago, rebuffing a U.S. Department of Justice recommendation of no prison time for the defendant.
Brett Hankison, who fired 10 shots during the raid but didn't hit anyone, was the only officer on the scene charged in the Black woman's death in 2020. He is the first person sentenced to prison in the case that rocked the city of Louisville and spawned weeks of street protests over police brutality five years ago.
U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings sentenced Hankison at a hearing Monday afternoon in which she said no prison time "is not appropriate" for Hankison. She also said she was "startled" that there weren't more people injured in the raid.
She sentenced him to 33 months in prison as well as three years of supervised probation. Hankison will not report directly to prison. Jennings said the Bureau of Prisons will determine where and when he starts his sentence. Jennings expressed disappointment with federal prosecutors' sentencing memo filed last week, saying the Justice Department treated Hankison's actions as "an inconsequential crime," and said the memo was "incongruous and inappropriate."
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) --
A federal judge on Monday sentenced a former Kentucky police officer to nearly three years in prison for using excessive force during the deadly Breonna Taylor raid five years ago, rebuffing a U.S. Department of Justice recommendation of no prison time for the defendant.
Brett Hankison, who fired 10 shots during the raid but didn't hit anyone, was the only officer on the scene charged in the Black woman's death in 2020. He is the first person sentenced to prison in the case that rocked the city of Louisville and spawned weeks of street protests over police brutality five years ago.
U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings sentenced Hankison at a hearing Monday afternoon in which she said no prison time "is not appropriate" for Hankison. She also said she was "startled" that there weren't more people injured in the raid. She sentenced him to 33 months in prison as well as three years of supervised probation. Hankison will not report directly to prison. Jennings said the Bureau of Prisons will determine where and when he starts his sentence.
Jennings expressed disappointment with federal prosecutors' sentencing memo filed last week, saying the Justice Department treated Hankison's actions as "an inconsequential crime," and said the memo was "incongruous and inappropriate."
Original article/headline -
Updated 6:39 PM EDT, July 21, 2025
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) --
A federal judge on Monday sentenced an ex-Kentucky police officer to nearly three years in prison for using excessive force during the 2020 deadly Breonna Taylor raid, declining a Justice Department recommendation that he be given no prison time.
Brett Hankison, who fired 10 shots during the raid but didn't hit anyone, was the only officer on the scene charged in the Black woman's death. He is the first person sentenced to prison in the case that rocked the city of Louisville and spawned weeks of street protests over police brutality five years ago.
U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings sentenced Hankison at a hearing Monday afternoon. She said that no prison time "is not appropriate" for Hankison and said she was " startled" that there weren't more people injured in the raid.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP's earlier story follows below.
= new reply since forum marked as read
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But not good enough.
She could be me, my sister, my niece . . .
We don't count as women in Amerikkka.