The U.S. Department of Justice is recommending a one-day sentence for former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison, who was convicted of violating Breonna Taylor’s civil rights during the deadly 2020 police raid at her apartment.
Although Hankison faces a maximum sentence of life in prison when he appears for sentencing on July 21, the DOJ is advocating for no prison time and instead recommends supervised release. This unusual request follows Hankison’s November 2024 conviction, where he was found guilty of firing blindly into Taylor’s apartment during the botched raid.
In a sentencing memo obtained by USA Today, DOJ officials argue that Hankison’s conduct—returning fire without hitting anyone—does not align with previous federal civil rights prosecutions. The memo also notes this is the only federal case in which an officer has been charged under the Fourth Amendment for firing shots that did not injure anyone.
Further, the DOJ memo suggests the charges may not have been appropriate, stating that even officials under President Joe Biden’s administration have questioned whether Hankison should have been prosecuted.
Background
Hankison was the only officer criminally charged in connection with Taylor’s death. Two other officers were found to have acted justifiably when they returned fire after being shot at by Kenneth Walker, Taylor’s boyfriend, who believed intruders had broken into the home.
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Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician, was shot and killed during the early morning raid on March 13, 2020, as part of a larger narcotics investigation. Police were executing a no-knock warrant, though they later claimed to have announced themselves. Taylor’s death sparked national protests and became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The city of Louisville later banned no-knock warrants, and the police chief was fired over the lack of body camera footage from that night.