A federal judge on Monday sentenced former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison to nearly three years in prison for using excessive force during the deadly Breonna Taylor raid, directly rejecting the U.S. Department of Justice’s recommendation of no prison time.
U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings sentenced Hankison to 33 months in prison plus three years of supervised probation, making him the first person to serve prison time in connection with Taylor’s March 2020 death.
Hankison fired 10 shots through Taylor’s apartment windows during the botched drug raid, though his bullets didn’t strike anyone. The shots passed through the walls into a neighboring apartment. Taylor, 26, was killed by two other officers in her hallway after her boyfriend fired at police, striking an officer in the leg.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Justice (DOJ) via online form for comment.
The Context
This sentencing represents a critical moment in one of the most high-profile police accountability cases in recent history. Taylor’s death, alongside George Floyd‘s killing in Minneapolis, sparked nationwide racial justice protests in 2020.
In 2022, former Attorney General Merrick Garland announced felony charges against Louisville Police Detective Joshua Jaynes and former Sergeant Kyle Meany. The officers were not present in the raid at Taylor’s residence, but Garland argued that the two officials had placed Taylor in danger by falsifying parts of the warrant used in the incident. The officers’ charges were dismissed in 2024.
Neither of the officers who shot Taylor were charged with her death. Federal and state prosecutors have said those officers were justified in returning fire, since Taylor’s boyfriend shot at them first.
The case has become a symbol of the broader struggle for police accountability and racial justice in America.
AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, Pool, File
What To Know
Judge Jennings expressed sharp criticism of federal prosecutors during Monday’s hearing, saying she was “startled” that more people weren’t injured during the raid and that no prison time “is not appropriate” for Hankison’s actions. She specifically criticized the Justice Department’s sentencing memo as treating Hankison’s conduct as “an inconsequential crime,” calling the recommendation “incongruous and inappropriate.”
Hankison was convicted in November 2024 on federal excessive force charges after a complex legal journey. The conviction came after prosecutors retried the case following a mistrial in his first federal trial. He was previously acquitted on state wanton endangerment charges in 2022, and a separate federal jury deadlocked on charges against him in 2023.
The Justice Department, now under President Donald Trump’s leadership, submitted a sentencing memo recommending a sentence of time served (one day) and three years of supervised probation. Federal prosecutors argued there is “no need for a prison sentence to protect the public” from Hankison, despite the conviction carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Prosecutors accused Hankison of acting recklessly during the 12-second exchange of gunfire, violating fundamental rules of deadly force by firing 10 shots into doors and windows where he couldn’t see a target. The raid was executed on a warrant related to Taylor’s ex-boyfriend’s suspected drug activity, though no drugs or cash were found in her apartment.
What People Are Saying
Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings on Monday: “No prison time is not appropriate for this defendant. I was startled that there weren’t more people injured in the raid.”
Tamika Palmer, Breonna Taylor’s mother, said in 2024, following Hankison’s conviction: “It took a lot of time. It took a lot of patience. It was hard. The jurors took their time to really understand that Breonna deserved justice.”
Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump, who helped Taylor’s family secure a $12 million wrongful death settlement against the city of Louisville, told reporters on Monday: “This recommendation is an insult to the life of Breonna Taylor and a blatant betrayal of the jury’s decision. It sends the unmistakable message that white officers can violate the civil rights of Black Americans with near-total impunity.”
Federal prosecutors, in their recent sentencing memo: “[Hankison’s] response in these fraught circumstances was unreasonable given the benefit of hindsight, that unreasonable response did not kill or wound Breonna Taylor, her boyfriend, her neighbors, defendant’s fellow officers, or anyone else.”
Former Attorney General Merrick Garland, in 2024: “[Hankison’s] use of deadly force was unlawful and put Ms. Taylor in harm’s way. This verdict is an important step toward accountability for the violation of Breonna Taylor’s civil rights, but justice for the loss of Ms. Taylor is a task that exceeds human capacity.”
What Happens Next
Hankison will not report directly to prison. The Bureau of Prisons will determine where and when he begins serving his 33-month sentence.
This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.
Update 7/21/25, 8:12 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and a new headline.