Officer indicted in Breonna Taylor case refused to give a blood sample, prosecutors claim

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Brett Hankison, one of the former Louisville Metro Police Department officers indicted by a federal grand jury after an investigation by the FBI in the death of Breonna Taylor, had refused to comply with one of the conditions of his release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office told a judge Tuesday.

Federal prosecutors accused Hankison of not giving a blood sample to his probation officer, a rule U.S. District Court Judge Regina Edwards told him he must comply with.

The USAO also said Hankison had recently been in Las Vegas on a trip. At first, they said, they thought that too was a violation. However, they then explained it was not one of the terms of the agreement. They then asked the judge to amend the conditions to include a requirement that he report any travels outside of the Western District of Kentucky. The judge agreed to review the terms.

During the hearing, Hankison did not explain what he was doing in Las Vegas or why he’d not produced a blood sample.

Hankison was indicted August 4 along with three other former officers, Kyle Meany, Kelly Goodlett and Joshua Jaynes. The indictments were related to the raid that resulted in Taylor’s death on March 13, 2020.

Hankison had been issued an unsecured bond after his federal arrest. He would have to pay $50,000 if the decides he did violate the terms on his pre-trial release.

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