Judge declares mistrial in case of ex-officer who fired into Breonna Taylor's apartment

Nov. 17 (UPI) -- A federal jury failed to reach a verdict in the civil rights trial of a former Louisville police officer connected with the 2020 death of Breonna Taylor, leading the judge to declare a mistrial.

U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings declared the mistrial Thursday after jurors could not reach a verdict on two counts of deprivation of rights against Brett Hankison in deliberations that began on Monday.

Hankison was charged with violating Taylor's civil rights for firing 10 rounds of ammunition through a window and sliding door on a raid of her apartment as she slept beside her boyfriend Kenneth Walker.

Jennings scheduled a status conference hearing for Dec. 13 while federal prosecutors considered whether they would attempt to retry Hankison.

"A mistrial is not an acquittal and so we live another day to fight for justice for Breonna," Lonita Baker, an attorney for Taylor's family, said after the mistrial.

Prosecutors had accused Hankison of using excessive force while his defense team argued the former LMPD detective's actions were justified based on his perception that he was saving his fellow officers' lives.

A state jury found Hankison not guilty of wanton endangerment in March 2022. In August 2022, former Louisville officer Kelly Goodlett pleaded guilty to falsifying the search warrant that led to the Taylor raid and agreed to testify against two other officers in that case.

Hankison fired into the apartment after Walker fired one shot. While other police shot into the apartment as well, killing Taylor, investigators said that Hankison's shot did not hit anyone.

Police raided the apartment as part of a drug investigation, but the target of the probe was not at the apartment and no drugs were found at the home.