LOUISVILLE, KY (Eagle News) — Louisville police officer Brett Hankison was charged with three counts of “wanton endangerment” on Wednesday in connection with the March 13 shooting of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old black woman, in Louisville, Kentucky.
Judge Annie O’Connell announced the charges brought by a grand jury against Hankison, one of three police officers involved in the fatal shooting.
Taylor, an emergency room technician, was shot dead in her apartment when three plainclothes police officers executing a “no knock” search warrant burst in late at night.
Her boyfriend, who was in bed with her, grabbed a gun and exchanged fire with the officers. He later said he thought they were criminals.
The officers, who had not activated their body cameras as required, shot Taylor multiple times, killing her. A police sergeant was wounded.
Her death fueled weeks of anti-racism protests in Louisville and became a nationwide rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement for police reform.
The city of Louisville settled a wrongful death suit with Taylor’s family for $12 million last week and a grand jury has been looking into whether any charges should be filed against the officers involved in the raid.
“Her death has ignited a movement in Louisville and the nation for racial justice, sending thousands into our streets and in cities all across the country and the world – all crying for justice for Breonna” and triggering a renewed commitment to addressing structural and systemic racism in our city and our country, the Mayor said.
Though the settlement does not change the past, he continued, “I hope it brings some measure of peace” for Taylor’s family, friends and the community.
In preparation of the state Attorney General Daniel Camerson’s decision in the case, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer signed two Executive Orders.
The first Executive Order declares a state of emergency due to the potential for civil unrest, which allows him to exercise any of his emergency powers, including those to hire or contract for services and implementing curfews and other restrictions.
The second order restricts access to five downtown parking garages and bans on-street parking in order to provide an extra layer of security for protests in and around Jefferson Square Park.
(Eagle News Service)