Brett Hankison Trial Updates
Brett Hankison is an American former police officer who became popular for his involvement in the shooting of Breonna Taylor
Former Louisville police detective Brett Hankison found not guilty on charges from Breonna Taylor raid
Former Louisville police detective Brett Hankison, the only officer charged in the controversial raid that killed Breonna Taylor, was found not guilty on three counts of wanton endangerment by a Jefferson County jury Thursday.
The jury of eight men and four women deliberated for about three hours after hearing five days of testimony. A judge told Hankison he was free to leave.
"Justice was done, the verdict was proper and we're thrilled," said attorney Stew Mathews, who represented Hankison. "He was doing his job as a police officer. ... The jury felt like you go out and perform your duty and your brother officer gets shot, you have a right to defend yourself. Simple as that."
Brett Hankison to testify in his own trial on charges stemming from raid that killed Breonna Taylor
Former Louisville Metro Police detective Brett Hankison will take the stand to testify on his own behalf in the trial stemming from the raid that killed Breonna Taylor.
During final jury selection Tuesday, Hankison's attorney, Stew Matthews, said he plans to put Hankison on the stand. The witness list, which contains 30 names, includes Myles Cosgrove and Jon Mattingly — two other LMPD officers on scene that night in 2020 — as well as former LMPD Police Chief Steve Conrad.
Mattingly has already filed a motion saying he will plead the Fifth Amendment if he's called to the stand.
Lawyers returned to the courtroom Tuesday primarily to finish an extended jury selection process.
The attorneys are attempting to winnow down a pool of 48 people to 12 jurors and three alternates. Hankison is charged with wanton endangerment for shooting into the apartment of one of Taylor's neighbors on the night of the March 2020 raid. He was fired a few months later. Hankison, whose shots did not hit Taylor, is the only officer charged in the case. None have been charged in connection to Taylor's death.
Mathews tried to ban the public and media from covering the jury selection process, saying it could affect the candor of perspective jurors. The motion failed.
Court officials initially gathered an expanded pool of 250 potential jurors, to account for the widespread publicity in Taylor's death, which sparked months of marches and protests in downtown Louisville in the summer of 2020. After four days of questioning potential jurors on their knowledge and beliefs about Hankison's case, prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed on a pool of 48 to choose the final jury from.
The city paid $12 million in 2020 to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Taylor's mother, but the two former officers who fired shots that struck Taylor were not charged. Those officers could be called to testify in this trial, according to a motion filed by Hankison's defense.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said a man, pregnant woman and child were inside that apartment when Hankison fired into it.
Hankison later pleaded not guilty to the charges, each of
which carries a prison sentence of one to five years if he is convicted.
The trial is expected to begin on Wednesday and will last about two weeks.
This story will be updated.
An additional 13 jurors will move to the group questioning round in the Brett Hankison trial. That brings the total to 35 out of the 50 the court is trying to build. Hankison is charged with three counts of wanton endangerment. He’s accused of firing shots through Breonna Taylor’s apartment that landed in a neighboring apartment.
During Thursday’s individual juror questioning, Hankison’s defense attorney Stewart Mathews said Hankison would take the stand in his own defense.
Many jurors during the session told lawyers they didn’t know much about the case or what happened the night Breonna Taylor was killed.
The judge asked jurors several questions to see if they knew more than they were admitting to.
The group of 50 jurors will be questioned in two groups on February 22 . The final jury will be picked after that.
Both the defense and prosecution can eliminate up to nine jurors each following those group question sessions.
The remaining jurors will be picked by random draw to make up the final jury which will hear the trial.
Brett Hankison to testify in his own trial on charges stemming from raid that killed Breonna Taylor
Former Louisville Metro Police detective Brett Hankison will take the stand to testify on his own behalf in the trial stemming from the raid that killed Breonna Taylor.
During final jury selection Tuesday, Hankison's attorney, Stew Matthews, said he plans to put Hankison on the stand. The witness list, which contains 30 names, includes Myles Cosgrove and Jon Mattingly — two other LMPD officers on scene that night in 2020 — as well as former LMPD Police Chief Steve Conrad.
Mattingly has already filed a motion saying he will plead the Fifth Amendment if he's called to the stand.
Lawyers returned to the courtroom Tuesday primarily to finish an extended jury selection process.
The attorneys are attempting to winnow down a pool of 48 people to 12 jurors and three alternates. Hankison is charged with wanton endangerment for shooting into the apartment of one of Taylor's neighbors on the night of the March 2020 raid. He was fired a few months later. Hankison, whose shots did not hit Taylor, is the only officer charged in the case. None have been charged in connection to Taylor's death.
Mathews tried to ban the public and media from covering the jury selection process, saying it could affect the candor of perspective jurors. The motion failed.
Court officials initially gathered an expanded pool of 250 potential jurors, to account for the widespread publicity in Taylor's death, which sparked months of marches and protests in downtown Louisville in the summer of 2020. After four days of questioning potential jurors on their knowledge and beliefs about Hankison's case, prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed on a pool of 48 to choose the final jury from.
The city paid $12 million in 2020 to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Taylor's mother, but the two former officers who fired shots that struck Taylor were not charged. Those officers could be called to testify in this trial, according to a motion filed by Hankison's defense.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said a man, pregnant woman and child were inside that apartment when Hankison fired into it.
Hankison later pleaded not guilty to the charges, each of which carries a prison sentence of one to five years if he is convicted.
The trial is expected to begin on Wednesday and will last about two weeks.
This story will be updated.