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The 2020 shooting death of Breonna Taylor at the hands of police still lives in the minds of many, especially those who feel justice has never been served. Brett Hankison, an officer involved in the fatal raid, was found not guilty on Thursday (Mar. 4) which sparked protests across Lousiville and beyond.
The Louisville Courier-Journal was among several local and national outlets covering Hankison’s wanton endangerment trial of which he was facing three counts. Hankison was among the three officers who burst into the home of Taylor as she slept with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, also in the residence. Hankinson, along with officers Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove, who fired the final shot, was investigating an alleged drug-dealing operation.
It took jurors just three hours to deliberate on the matter, with Hankinson’s defense attorney offering a statement to the press after the conclusion of the trial.
“I think it was absolutely the fact that he was doing his job as a police officer,” Stew Mathews said. “I’m sort of at a loss for words right now. I think absolutely Brett was, the jury felt like, you go out and perform your duty and your brother officer gets shot, you’ve got a right to defend yourself. Simple as that.”
Via social media Taylor’s sister, Juniyah Palmer, posted on her Facebook page statements that shared her dissatisfaction with the verdict.
“[L]ord this system is a failure! [I] honestly have no wrongs but [I] am not surprised,” read a post from Thursday shortly after the news went wide.
She added another statement reading, “it’s like they constantly walk over my sister! [I]’m so tired of this injustice ass system!! [H]ow do ANYBODY find this man not guilty on EVERYTHING?
Palmer shared a Facebook post of a rally that should be taking place now. We’ll share that post below.
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Photo: Getty
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