LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A former Louisville Metro Police officer is back on trial for violating the civil rights of Breonna Taylor, her boyfriend and their neighbors the night of a botched raid at Taylor's apartment in 2020.
The trial marks the second attempt by prosecutors to convict Brett Hankison for his actions on the night Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was shot to death by police after they knocked down the door of her apartment.
Hankison was acquitted in a state trial last year.
EXPLAINED: How is Brett Hankison's federal trial different from his state trial in Breonna Taylor case?
This story will be updated each day of the trial. Follow along for updates.
DAY 2: Friday, November 3
Federal prosecutors first called former LMPD Detective Myles Cosgrove to testify. According to the FBI, Cosgrove fired the bullets that killed Taylor.
He said police were told only Taylor would be at the house when they executed the search warrant. Documents later revealed that the search warrant was issued using falsified information.
Cosgrove testified that when he looked at the sliding glass door, he couldn't see inside the apartment even with a flashlight.
After returning fire with Kenneth Walker, Taylor's boyfriend, and leaving from Taylor’s doorway, Cosgrove said he saw several flashes outside the same door and window, which he later learned was Hankison shooting.
He said firing into an unknown area is extremely dangerous and something he would never do. It’s also something the Louisville Metro Police Department teaches officers not to do.
According to LMPD Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey, officers receive annual training to avoid them firing blindly. He said Hankison had at least 17 years of firearm training.
While on the stand, Humphrey testified that officers "must know their target" before using deadly force, adding that officers shouldn't shoot into a general area where they think a threat might be. He said the risk of not identifying a target is "the wrong person dies."
However, during opening statements on Thursday, Hankison’s defense attorney, Jack Byrd, said his client had a clear line of sight through the gaps of the window and fired at the sound of a rifle.
Juniyah Palmer, Taylor’s sister, showed the jury photos of the apartment she shared with Taylor.
She said their sliding door and windows were always covered by blackout curtains, including the night of the raid on March 13, 2020. Plamer testified those blinds make it impossible to see through and purposefully blocked out the parking lot on the side of their building.
Palmer said one of Hankison’s bullets went through her covered bedroom window, adding if she had been home that night, there's a chance she would have been shot.
DAY 1: Thursday, November 2
After three days of questioning, a 16-person jury has been selected for Brett Hankison's federal trial.
Breonna Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer sat in the courtroom Thursday listening to opening statements.
Department of Justice Prosecutor Ana Gotfryd said Hankison blindly shot into Taylor's apartment, shooting through a window and door covered by dark curtains. She said he fired 10 rounds after gunfire stopped between officers and Kenneth Walker, which goes against police protocols.
Gotfyd said deadly force is justified only when there's a threat and when the officer has a clear target.
Former LMPD Detective Myles Cosgrove is expected to testify against Hankison during the trial. Gotfryd said he will testify that Hankison was "reckless" the night of the raid. The jury will also hear from SWAT officer Chris Kitchen who said he saw Hankison jumping and pumping his fist after the deadly shooting.
The defense argued that none of what federal prosecutors said in their opening statement was true.
Defense attorney Jack Byrd said Hankison shot through the side of Taylor's home to save his fellow officer, including Cosgrove. He said Hankison was able to see through the gaps of the window and fired at the sound of a rifle.
Bryd said his client wasn't the last officer to shoot, adding that Hankison showed concern after seeing Taylor on the ground.
On Thursday, the prosecution called another witness to the stand, Taylor's neighbor Chelsey Napper. She said she was woken up to the sound of gunfire, testifying she thought a bomb had just gone off.
Napper was home along with her boyfriend, who just missed being hit by a bullet from Hankison's gun. She said after that, several more rounds were fired, prompting her to shield her 5-year-old son.
The jury also heard from LMPD Sergeant Michael Campbell who was also there the night of the raid. Campbell agreed that Hankison's actions were extremely dangerous.
Campbell said he decided not to shoot through the side of Taylor's home because he felt it wouldn't help fellow officers. He said he also had trouble seeing through her window and sliding door.
What do we know about the jury?
The first few days of Hankison's trial were kept behind closed doors as attorneys questioned roughly 200 potential jurors.
While we don’t know the exact questions that were being asked, we do know they were interested in knowing about each juror’s criminal history, their perception of the police, their thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement and what they already know of the Breonna Taylor investigation.
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