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Four Police Officers Were Charged With Federal Crimes in Breonna Taylor's Death

WBLS Staff
08/04/2022 12:00 AM EDT
Four former and current Louisville police officers have been charged with federal crimes in the death of Breonna Taylor. Kyle Meany, Kelly Goodlett, Joshua Jaynes, and Brett Hankison have all been charged with civil rights and obstruction offenses, unlawful conspiracies, and unconstitutional use of force. It has been stated by the Department of Justice alleged that three of the officers, (Jaynes, Meany, and Goodlett) “knowingly falsified the affidavit used to obtain a search warrant for Taylor’s house. The DOJ also claims that the officers covered up the unlawful raid after Taylor was killed by lying to authorities. Former Louisville police officer, Brett Hankison, was accused of using excessive force during the no-knock raid at Taylor’s home, violating the rights of her and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, and their neighbors. Attorney General Merrick Garland said, “We share, but we cannot fully imagine, the grief felt by Breonna Taylor’s loved ones and all of those affected by the events of March 13, 2020. Breonna Taylor should be alive today.” Taylor’s death along with the death of George Floyd sparked national outrage and protests against police violence and racism. It's been two years since Taylor’s death and none of the officers were charged with her death until the federal charges were brought up. Brett Hankison was taken to trial for shooting into the neighboring apartment when he opened fire in the apartment Taylor shared with her boyfriend. He was found not guilty of wanton endangerment. This is a developing story and we will keep you posted with updates.