It’s been over 6 months since officers from the Louisville Police Department shot to death African American EMT worker and aspiring nurse Breonna Taylor in her Kentucky home after breaking down the door to her apartment in execution of a late-night, “no-knock” warrant.
Inciting a firestorm of controversy in the wake of the incident, the department did eventually terminate Brett Hankison and banned “no-knock” warrants but the state justice system at large failed to bring said policeman on charges (click here to read more).
That fate was changed when a grand jury presented its official report and their findings were announced Wednesday (September 23).
Details inside:
As seen in the live video footage above, LMPD officer Hankison – who (by his own department’s admission) “blindly” fired 10 rounds in Taylor’s home – has been indicted on 3 counts of wanton endangerment in the 1st degree. A Class D felony, the crime – if convicted – is punishable with fines of up to $10,000 and up to five years in prison per conviction.
The charge indictment is significantly less than the manslaughter or murder charges many had hoped for.
For months, protesters have criticized the length of the investigation and demanded the arrests of all officers involved. At writing, it does not appear the state has any intent to charge other officers.
Louisville has prepared for the possibility of unrest from the decision. The city and the police department had already declared states of emergency and set up barricades restricting vehicle access to downtown areas, including stores and restaurants (which have boarded their windows) and federal buildings closed for the week.
The announcement comes a week after Taylor’s family was awarded a multi-million dollar settlement for her death.
Click here to read more.
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