Ex-LMPD detective Brett Hankison sentenced to 33 months in prison
The July 21 sentence was in defiance of a last-minute request from federal prosecutors that Hankison receive only a one-day sentence.
Western Kentucky District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings said she was troubled by the prosecutors' sentencing memorandum, as well as their arguments toward leniency.
In the July 16 sentencing memorandum, the DOJ recommended Hankison serve a day in prison for his conviction, writing that "reasonable minds might disagree as to whether Hankison's conduct constituted a seizure under the Fourth Amendment in the first place."
The memorandum, signed by DOJ civil rights division senior counsel Robert J. Keenum, also said the DOJ "respects the jury's verdict, which will almost certainly ensure that Hankison never serves as a law enforcement officer again and will also likely ensure he never legally possesses a firearm again."
The sentencing memorandum saw backlash locally, with Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg saying in a statement that Hankison's "actions warrant a serious prison sentence."
Hankison's sentencing followed a total of three trials since 2022.
He was found not guilty of state-level wanton endangerment charges related to shots fired that entered the apartment of Taylor's neighbors in March 2022.
Then, in November 2023, a mistrial was declared in a federal trial over whether Hankison violated the civil rights of Taylor, her boyfriend and neighbors after the jury could not come to a decision.
About a year later, in November of last year, a federal jury found Hankison guilty of violating Taylor's civil rights.
None of the shots fired by Hankison during the raid on Taylor's apartment hit Taylor. However, he was fired from LMPD for "blindly" shooting into her apartment, and several of the shots fired by Hankison passed into a neighboring unit where a pregnant woman, a man and a young boy were present.
More: Breonna Taylor's aunt among 4 people arrested near courthouse ahead of Hankison sentencing
This story will be updated.
Josh Wood is an investigative reporter who focuses on public safety and government. He can be reached at jwood@courier-journal.com or on X at @JWoodJourno.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Brett Hankison sentencing: Ex-LMPD detective gets 33 months in prison
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