Former Louisville Police Officer Sentenced in Breonna Taylor Raid

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- Former Louisville Metro Police Department officer Brett Hankison was sentenced Monday to 33 months in prison for his role in a botched police raid that killed Breonna Taylor in March 2020, according to media reports.

After his release from prison, Hankison will be on supervised release for three years, according to TV station WLKY. He was also ordered to pay a $100 fine and is barred from serving as a law enforcement officer or possessing a firearm.

The Department of Justice previously recommended a one-day sentence for Hankison with credit for one day of time served. Lawyers Ben Crump, Lonita Baker and Sam Aguiar, who represent Taylor’s family, said the recommendation was an insult to Taylor’s life and a “blatant betrayal of the jury’s decision.”

Taylor’s death sparked protests in Louisville and across much of the U.S. during the spring and summer of 2020, as police killings of Black people, particularly Taylor and George Floyd, prompted widespread outrage.

In a statement after the sentencing, the attorneys for Taylor’s family said the 33-month sentence was not what they had hoped for.

“While today’s sentence is not what we had hoped for — nor does it fully reflect the severity of the harm caused — it is more than what the Department of Justice sought,” the attorneys said in a statement. “That, in itself, is a statement. The jury found Brett Hankison guilty, and that verdict deserved to be met with real accountability.”

U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings said the DOJ’s one-day recommendation was inappropriate and a “180-degree-turn” from what they argued during Hankison’s trial, according to WAVE. Jennings also denied a motion from Hankison asking for a new trial, according to WLKY.

Hankison was found guilty of violating Taylor’s rights after a November jury trial. He was acquitted of violating the rights of Taylor’s neighbors.

A mistrial was declared during a previous trial in October 2023 for Hankison after a jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on the charges.

In total, Hankison has faced three trials related to Taylor’s death— two federal and one state. He was acquitted in state court.

Several witnesses took the stand during Monday’s sentencing, including Taylor’s mother and Hankison himself. Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, said she didn’t think it was a fair sentencing, according to WAVE.

Hankison apologized to Taylor’s family and friends and said he would not have fired his gun knowing what he knows now, according to TV station WDRB.

Jennings was also upset that the DOJ did not provide victim impact statements on behalf of Taylor’s family — something that is routine in sentencing hearings, according to WDRB. Hankison’s lawyers filed nearly 50 impact statements on behalf of Hankison, including statements from other officers and his daughter.

Hankinson was not taken into custody after the hearing, according to WLKY. Jennings determined he is not a flight risk and can voluntarily surrender.

What happened the night of Taylor’s death

Police broke down the door to Taylor’s Springfield Drive apartment after midnight on March 13, 2020, in an attempt to execute a search warrant.

Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, later said he thought the police were intruders breaking in, and he fired a shot at them with a legally owned gun, hitting one officer in the leg.

Hankison testified at the trial that he moved around the corner of the apartment building and fired shots into Taylor’s unit, according to the Associated Press. He fired 10 rounds, but none hit anyone.

Two additional officers returned Walker’s fire from the doorway, hitting and killing Taylor. They were not charged because prosecutors said their use of force was justified in response to the shot fired at them.

Herald-Leader reporter Taylor Six contributed to this report.

©2025 Lexington Herald-Leader. Visit kentucky.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.