World Courant
The earlier alleged misconduct of a former Louisville police officer accused of violating the civil rights of Breonna Taylor, her boyfriend and their neighbors in 2020 when Taylor was shot and killed throughout a botched police raid can’t be launched into proof within the ex-cop’s file. a federal decide dominated Thursday, in keeping with WHAS11, the ABC affiliate in Louisville that’s dealing with the case in courtroom.
The USA authorities filed a movement in August introducing two circumstances of alleged misconduct by Brett Hankison whereas he labored as a police officer in Louisville. In keeping with courtroom paperwork, Hankison was a part of a narcotics investigation in 2016 when he pulled out his gun and ran between a suspect and members of the Particular Weapons and Techniques Unit (SWAT) who had their weapons drawn.
Within the second incident, Hankison allegedly pointed his gun out the window of his automobile in 2017, stopped a barbershop buyer who was attempting to get away and commenced yelling at folks within the retailer, prompting the SWAT crew’s undercover operation was blown up, the courtroom stated. paperwork.
On March 13, 2020, Louisville officers raided Taylor’s condominium round 12:45 a.m. When officers broke down the condominium door, Kenneth Walker, Taylor’s boyfriend, who thought it was an intruder, fired a single gunshot from a legally bought weapon. firearm, hanging the primary officer close to the door. Two Louisville officers then fired a complete of twenty-two photographs into the condominium, certainly one of which hit Taylor within the chest, in keeping with data from the Division of Justice. Not one of the bullets fired by Hankison, who was outdoors the condominium, hit anybody.
Within the Breonna Taylor case, Hankison was charged in August 2022 with two counts of deprivation of rights beneath the regulation, each of that are violations of civil rights. In keeping with courtroom paperwork, he was accused of deliberately depriving Taylor and Walker of their constitutional proper to be free from unreasonable seizures, together with the best to be free from using unreasonable power by a police officer throughout a seizure.
Former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison discusses the muzzle flashes he noticed coming from the condominium whereas being questioned by prosecutors in Louisville, Kentucky, Wednesday, March 2, 2022.
Timothy D. Easley, Pool through AP
He was additionally accused of deliberately depriving Taylor’s neighbors Chelsey Napper, Cody Etherton and Zayden Flournoy of their proper to be free from the deprivation of liberty with out due technique of regulation, together with the best to be free from police, in keeping with courtroom transcripts. use of unjustified violence that shocks the conscience.
Hankison’s federal trial, the third try and convict him for his actions within the Taylor taking pictures, is about to start Tuesday. Final yr, a federal trial led to a mistrial when the jury deadlocked after being unable to succeed in a unanimous determination. Hankison was acquitted of a number of prices of wanton endangerment in March 2022.
U.S. District Courtroom Choose Rebecca Jennings granted the prosecutor’s request to exclude references to Hankison’s earlier authorized proceedings in his upcoming trial, in keeping with WHAS11.
Final yr, Hankison stated in courtroom testimony that he had no clear goal when he fired 10 photographs into the aspect wall of Taylor’s condominium in March 2020. The bullets additionally handed by way of a neighbor’s condominium.
“I could not try this,” Hankison responded when requested by the prosecutor throughout an earlier trial whether or not he might see a top level view of an individual by way of the blinds when he fired his photographs. He added that he couldn’t see an precise individual or weapon, in keeping with courtroom paperwork.
Hankison claimed he noticed muzzle flashes coming from the home and believed the menace was transferring down the hallway and towards the officers from Hankison’s place outdoors, in keeping with courtroom transcripts.
“You were not there,” Hankison informed prosecutors. “You do not know what I noticed…”
Hankison testified that he now is aware of the muzzle flashes got here from his fellow officers, who have been standing within the doorway of the condominium’s entrance entrance, in keeping with courtroom paperwork. Hankison stated on the time that he thought his fellow officers have been being executed.
A photograph of Breonna Taylor is seen amongst different pictures of ladies who’ve misplaced their lives because of violence in the course of the second annual Defend Black Girls March at Black Lives Matter Plaza, July 30, 2022, in Washington.
Leigh Vogel/Getty Photographs for Frontline Motion Hub
The prosecutor said that Hankison’s spent shell casings weren’t discovered close to the sidewalk near the home the place Hankison claimed he was when he fired. They have been discovered behind a grey truck within the parking zone, in keeping with courtroom transcripts.
The prosecutor referred to testimony from former Sgt. John Mattingly and Etherton, Taylor’s neighbor, who testified that there was a pause between the time the officers completed taking pictures within the doorway and the time Hankison started firing his ten rounds from the aspect of the condominium, in keeping with courtroom paperwork.
The protection stated the prosecution took Mattingly’s and Etherton’s statements out of context and doesn’t have the mandatory proof to argue there was a pause between the photographs fired by Hankison’s fellow officers and his personal gunfire, the transcripts present of the courtroom. Hankison stated he stopped taking pictures after he noticed there have been no extra muzzle flashes within the condominium. He testified that he thought he had neutralized the menace.
The prosecutor argued that if the officers had stopped taking pictures earlier than Hankison began, there would have been no muzzles for him to see and purpose, making his taking pictures unjustified, in keeping with courtroom paperwork.
Neither the prosecution, protection nor attorneys for Taylor’s household instantly responded to ABC Information’ request for statements.
Prosecutors filed new prices final week towards Kyle Meany and Jason Jaynes, two former Louisville officers accused of acquiring false arrest warrants for Taylor’s house. AP Information.
In keeping with courtroom paperwork, a federal decide dropped prices towards Meany and Jaynes in August.
The decide stated Walker’s determination to open fireplace when officers entered the house “initiated the return fireplace that struck and killed Taylor,” in keeping with courtroom paperwork.
The brand new indictment contains extra allegations about how the previous officers allegedly falsified the warrant affidavit, in keeping with AP Information.
Each ex-officers knew the affidavit they used to acquire the search warrant contained deceptive data and lacked vital possible trigger, prosecutors stated.
Jaynes nonetheless faces prices of violating Taylor’s proper to be free from unreasonable search, a misdemeanor cost of concealing data from the FBI after the taking pictures and a misdemeanor cost of obstructing the FBI’s investigation, in keeping with the discharge. in keeping with courtroom paperwork. Meany nonetheless faces one rely of mendacity to the FBI.
Former Louisville officer Kelly Goodlett pleaded responsible in August 2022 to conspiring to forge an affidavit to acquire a warrant to go looking Taylor’s house with out possible trigger and to cowl up the false warrant by mendacity to detectives after Taylor was murdered, police stated. DOJ.
In keeping with WHAS11, a preliminary investigation in Hankison’s case passed off on Friday, specializing in jury questionnaires. The trial will start Tuesday with jury choice, the courtroom stated.
Stephanie Maurice and Deena Zaru of ABC Information contributed to this report.
The decide within the Breonna Taylor case denies the ex-cop’s alleged earlier misdeeds as proof
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