Breonna Taylor’s family, Louisville officials comment on Brett Hankison not guilty verdict

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Moments after former Louisville Metro Police officer Brett Hankison was found not guilty of wanton endangerment charges the night Breonna Taylor was killed in a botched raid, family members and city officials commented on the conclusion of Hankison’s jury trial.

Hankison was on trial for three counts of wanton endangerment for shooting into Taylor’s apartment. Bullets went through to a neighboring unit, which was occupied by a couple and their young child.

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After three hours of deliberation, a jury found Hankison not guilty on all three charges of wanton endangerment.

Taylor’s younger sister, Juniyah Palmer, posted on Facebook shortly after the verdict came down.

“It’s like they constantly walk over my sister,” Palmer said in the post.

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Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, also posted after the verdict. Palmer said the charges were not for Taylor’s death, but she said Hankison should have been found guilty.

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Louisville mayor Greg Fischer also provided a comment on Thursday evening, stating Metro Government is working to build greater trust between LMPD and the community and to ensure the actions happening the night of Breonna Taylor’s death “never happens again.”

“While the conduct considered in this case was not specific to Breonna Taylor’s death, the fact remains that she should not have died that night, and I know that for many, justice has still not been achieved,” Fischer said in a statement.

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National social justice group Until Freedom, who moved to Louisville in 2020 shortly after Taylor’s death and led protests calling for racial equity, said they are calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the Breonna Taylor case.

Linda Sarsour, co-founder of Until Freedom, said the group is creating a petition to send to U.S. Attorney Merrick Garland.

The Department of Justice is currently investigating LMPD’s systems and policies.

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National civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump said in a statement the verdict shows a lack of police accountability.

“This verdict is further evidence of the lack of police accountability. The fact that Brett Hankinson was not even charged for Breonna Taylor’s killing and only faced charges for the wanton endangerment of her white neighbors was a slap in the face for Breonna and her family. The lack of accountability showcased in every aspect of Breonna’s killing speaks to how much more work there is to be done before we can say our justice system is fair and our system of policing is protective of people of color. We demand real police reform, including a federal ban of no-knock warrants and improved training for law enforcement officers. Until we achieve those reforms, we cannot sleep safely in our own homes.”

Louisville mayoral candidate Timothy Findley, who participated in calls for social justice since Taylor’s death, said he was not surprised by Thursday’s verdict.

“Today, the justice system continued its failure to the family members of Breonna Taylor when Brett Hankinson was found not guilty of wanton endangerment. There is no question that he recklessly fired into the home of innocent people who had nothing to do with the lawless warrant, which led to the unnecessary murder of Breonna Taylor.

Sadly, I’m not surprised by today’s verdict. I’m simply resolute. This is just another reminder of how absolutely critical leadership is. Having the courage and boldness to lead is my promise to the people of my city. We need a change. My thoughts and prayers continue to go out to Breonna Taylor’s loved ones during this very difficult time.”

Louisville Metro Police Department also provided a statement following Hankison’s not guilty verdict.

“The events of March 13, 2020 are still painful for many, and since then LMPD has prioritized rebuilding trust with the communities that we serve. LMPD respects the judicial process and also recognizes that there are still potentially more proceedings that may be held on this case and will not provide further comment at this time.”

Former LMPD Det. John Mattingly, one of the three officers also involved in the raid and the officer who was shot that night, provided a statement shortly after Hankison’s verdict was announced.

“While some may disagree with today’s not guilty verdict of Brett Hankison, a group of his peers found him not guilty. This is our judicial system that affords the same opportunity to prove guilt or innocence to every citizen. This is a huge win for those that want law and order in our city. Brett was doing everything in his power to save my life, and for that I’m eternally grateful.”

FBI Louisville, who began its own investigation into the Breonna Taylor case back in May 2020, provided a statement on Thursday saying it is “committed to bringing this investigation to its proper conclusion.”

“FBI Louisville remains committed to bringing this investigation to its appropriate conclusion. As we have noted, throughout the investigation, we are working closely with career trial attorneys from the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to determine what, if any, federal charges are warranted. This work will continue beyond the jury’s verdict today.”

This story will be updated.

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