BREONNA Taylor was shot dead by police at her home in Louisville, Kentucky, on March 13, 2020.The 26-year-old frontline medic, who worked for two local hospitals, had no criminal history, which led to protests and a demand for justice.
2Breonna Taylor was shot and killed in her apartment on March 13, 2020Credit: AP
What decision was made in the Breonna Taylor case?
On March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor was shot in her apartment during a botched drug raid.
At the time, cops were looking for Jamarcus Glover, who allegedly dated Taylor two years ago, but he had previously been arrested in a separate raid ten miles away on the same night officers broke into her apartment.
As cops entered the home, Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker - who was not the man wanted by cops - fired one shot with his legally held weapon.
Walker said he thought the offices were burglars.
Her death ultimately played a large role in the Black Lives Matter movement, which later led to several more protests following to May 2020 death of George Floyd.
At first, the officers involved were cleared by a grand jury, but then in August 2022, a federal grand jury returned two indictments on former Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) Detective Joshua Jaynes, LMPD Sergeant Kyle Meany, and LMPD Detective Brett Hankison.
Janes and Meany were charged with federal civil rights and obstruction offenses for their roles in preparing and approving a false search warrant affidavit and Hankison was charged with civil rights offenses for firing his weapon into her apartment through a window and door, according to a Department of Justice press release.
Former LMPD Detective Kelly Goodlett was also charged with conspiring with Jaynes to falsify the search warrant and attempting to cover it up following her death.
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“On March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor should have awakened in her home as usual, but tragically she did not,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in a statement.
“Since the founding of our nation, the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution has guaranteed that all people have a right to be secure in their homes, free from false warrants, unreasonable searches and the use of unjustifiable and excessive force by the police.
"These indictments reflect the Justice Department’s commitment to preserving the integrity of the criminal justice system and to protecting the constitutional rights of every American.”
2Officer Kelly Hanna Goodlett pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy in August 2022Credit: Louisville Metro Police Department
Where are the former officers now?
Shortly after the grand jury indictment, Goodlett pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy, according to The New York Times.
At the time, she said that she knew there wasn't enough evidence to support the warrant but did not object when her former colleague falsified the report, The New York Times notes.
She is expected to be sentenced at a later date but will remain out on bond until then. She faces a maximum prison term of five years.
As for Jaynes and Meany, they ultimately pleaded not guilty to their charges and are expected to face trial at a later date.
Their trial was originally scheduled for October 11, 2022, but Judge Charles Simpson pushed it back, saying that the timeline wasn't feasible given the amount of evidence the defense attorneys have to go through, according to ABC affiliate WHAS11.
Hankison, who was previously found not guilty on three counts of felony wanton endangerment in relation to Taylor's death, is also expected to face trial on October 30, 2023, according to ABC News.
