Breonna Taylor (1993-2020)
#SayHerName, #BreonnasLaw, #Breonna, #JusticeforBreonna, #AmINext, #UnknownOthers
On March 13, 2020, Louisville, Kentucky police officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hanikson, and Myles Cosgrove, forced entry into the apartment of Breonna Taylor, a twenty-six year old emergency medical technician as part of a criminal investigation. The officers were there in search of Taylor’s ex-boyfriend, who was wanted on drug charges. They were armed with a “No Knock Warrant” –a special search warrant issued by a judge that allows police to enter a residence without advanced notification.
Officers arrived at Taylor’s apartment where they claimed to have announced themselves before using a battering ram to enter the premises. Taylor’s partner, Kenneth Walker, said the officers did not identify themselves, and upon hearing the commotion at the door, assumed the unidentified men were intruders. In response, Walker fired his weapon, wounding Mattingly in the leg as the door was breached. Officers returned fire, discharging thirty-two rounds. Walker was not injured. Breonna Taylor, however, was struck six times, killing her. The initial police report falsely stated that Taylor suffered no injuries, and despite the purpose of the raid, no drugs were found in the home.
In the months and years after the Taylor case, several events marked the close of the case for many who were involved. In June 2020 Louisville City Metro Council passed “Breonna’s Law,” banning no-knock warrants and requiring the use of body-cams during searches in its jurisdiction.
After an extensive investigation, on June 23, 2020, Hankinson was dismissed from the police force and in September 2020 was criminally indicted for wanton endangerment for his actions on the night Taylor was killed. The indictment maintained that Hankinson blindly fired into Taylor's apartment, endangering the lives of people in the adjacent apartment. None of the officers involved were charged in connection to Taylor’s death.
A $12 million settlement was reached with the Taylor family that ended a wrongful death suit they had bought against the city. As part of that settlement, city officials also agreed to implement changes designed to prevent incidents like the one that resulted in Taylor’s death.
Despite claiming that he fired in self defense out fear for his life, Walker was initially charged with assault and attempted murder of a police officer. These charges were dismissed approximately one year later.
Breonna Taylor’s death spurred additional actions around the country, including the introduction of the Justice for Breonna Taylor Act by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky). The Department of Justice also opened an investigation of the Louisville Police Department.