A Kentucky grand jury on Wednesday did not bring any charges against the officers involved in the killing of Breonna Taylor. They did however indict one officer in relation to shooting into her neighbor’s appartment.
Former officer Brett Hankison was indicted on three counts of wanton endangerment since some bullets he fired hit Taylor’s neighbors’ appartment, where there was a man, a child and a pregnant woman. The two other officers who opened fire were not indicted.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R) announced the grand jury findings at a press conference on Wednesday. He told reporters that there was not conclusive evidence to show that any of the 10 shots Hankison fired from outside struck Taylor.
CBS News reports, Hankison was booked into the Shelby County Detention Center this afternoon. He posted bail and was released just after 5 p.m. local time.
The two other officers—Jon Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove—fired six and sixteen times respectively. According to the AG, a witness said the officers banged loudly on the door and announced their prescence, even though they were at the appartment with a no-knock warrant. When no one answered they breached the door. Taylor’s boyfriend, a licensed firearm holder, told police he fired in self defense because he thought someone was breaking in. The shot hit Mattingly and officers returned fire.
Taylor was shot six times though only one bullet was fatal. Differing conclusion from two different ballistic reports left it unclear as to who fired the fatal shot. But, under Kentucky law, Mattingly and Cosgrove was “justified” in their use of deadly force since Taylor’s boyfriend fired the first shot, Cameron explained.
Understandably, people are outraged over the fact that none of charges are directly related to the killing of Breonna Taylor.
“If Brett Hankison’s behavior was wanton endangerment to people in neighboring apartments, then it should have been wanton endangerment in Breonna Taylor’s apartment too,” Taylor’s family attorney Benjamin Crump wrote in a statement. “In fact, it should have been ruled wanton murder!”
The deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd was at the center of this summer’s Black Lives Matter protests and other nationwide protests.
Protesters are already taking to the streets following the announcement. Louisville, Democratic Mayor, Greg Fisher announced a 72-hour curfew slated to begin at 9 p.m on Wednesday and the Kentucky national guard was also activated ahead of Cameron’s announcement.
