Brett Hankison to face trial in federal court Monday

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) -Former Louisville Metro police officer Brett Hankison is expected to go on trial Monday for civil rights offenses, accused of firing his service weapon into Breonna Taylor’s apartment, through a covered window and covered glass door.

The indictment alleges Hankison used excessive force and denied Taylor, her boyfriend and their neighbors of their constitutional rights. None of his shots actually hit Taylor.

Hankison was one of the officers, however, who attempted to execute a search warrant that led to the death of Taylor. The search warrant used was later said to have been falsified by LMPD officers with one officer, Kelly Goodlett, admitting to the claims.

Hankison has been the only officer who fired shots to be charged as prosecutors found that Myles Cosgrove and John Mattingly were justified in shooting back.

The trial for Hankison was originally set to start in August but his lawyers requested more time to go over what they call a massive amount of evidence and meet with experts to prepare.

This isn’t the first time Hankison has been indicted, however.

He was acquitted in March 2022 of charges that state prosecutors brought for endangering Taylor’s next-door neighbors with the shots he fired through her apartment and went through the walls. In that case, Hankison’s attorney Stewart Matthews said that Hankison shot into the apartment because he thought his fellow officers were in danger, and he was moving to protect them.

Hankison will be in federal court Monday morning at 9:30 where the jury selection process is set to begin.

If convicted, Hankison faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. The trial is expected to last two to four weeks,

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