Louisville Metro policeman Brett Hankison, one of three officers involved in the shooting death of healthcare worker Breonna Taylor, is set to be terminated from the force.
Details inside:
It’s been over three months since the March 13 killing occurred after the officers used a ‘no knock warrant’ to enter Taylor’s home and fired several rounds (8 of which struck Breonna). It was later discovered they’d entered the wrong house.
After cries for justice nationwide, many of which came from celebrities like Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah, Cardi B, and Kerry Washington (as we mentioned here), the mayor has finally announced intent to fire Hankison from the force.
Mayor Greg Fischer said LMPD Chief Rob Schroeder is initiating termination procedures, but – at the time of announcement -did not offer more details.
“Unfortunately, due to a provision in state law that I very much would like to see changed, both the Chief and I are precluded from talking about what brought us to this moment, or even the timing of this decision,” Fischer said in a statement.
According to his termination letter, Hankison violated procedure when he fired 10 rounds into Taylor’s apartment while executing the warrant.
“I have determined you violated Standard Operating Procedure … when your actions displayed an extreme indifference to the value of human life when you wantonly and blindly fired ten rounds into the apartment of Breonna Taylor,” the letter stated.
The officer’s actions and the public’s decry in response have led to the passing of the ‘Breonna Taylor’ law, which bans ‘no knock warrants’ in Kentucky (as we previously reported here).
As of time reported, there has been no announcement regarding Hankison’s arrest or official criminal charges being pressed. The state’s attorney general, Daniel Cameron, has declined to put a timetable on when he will announce if the findings of his investigation warrant any arrests or charges.
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