A Kentucky Grand Jury indicted former police officer Brett Hankison with three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment for his involvement in the shooting of Breonna Taylor. Hankison was charged for firing shots in neighboring apartments during the police raid on the night of March 13 while Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove, the two other officers involved in Taylor’s murder, were not charged at all.
None of the officers were charged with the actual murder of Breonna Taylor.
Judge Annie O’Connell read the charges issued from the grand jury and granted a $15,000 cash bond for Hankison requested by the assistant attorney general. The judge then issued a warrant for the arrest of Hankison following those charges.
Jefferson County Grand Jury indicts former ofc. Brett Hankison with 3 counts of Wanton Endangerment in 1st Degree for bullets that went into other apartments but NOTHING for the murder of Breonna Taylor. This is outrageous and offensive! pic.twitter.com/EarmBAhhuf
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) September 23, 2020
The decision of the grand jury comes three months after Hankison was dismissed from the Louisville police force after media outlets revealed that the officer had a history of complaints of excessive force and multiple allegations of sexual assault, according to the New York Times.
Today’s charges come more than 190 days since Taylor’s murder back in March and follow the $12 million settlement the Taylor family was awarded by the city of Louisville last week. Although the settlement was viewed as a small step towards justice, the city admitted no wrongdoing in the shooting but promised to reform the city’s police department.
Attorney General Daniel Cameron made no comment about the decision and attributed his silence on the case to Kentucky’s rules of professional conduct that prevent him from making a statement.
Protesters in Louisville took to the streets after the ruling to demand proper justice and other protests were organized around the country to rebuke the blatant disregard for justice.
