Judge Hands Nearly 3 Year Prison Term to Ex Officer in Breonna Taylor Raid

Judge Hands Nearly 3 Year Prison Term to Ex Officer in Breonna Taylor Raid

A federal judge sentences former Louisville officer Brett Hankison to 33 months for excessive force in the Breonna Taylor raid rejecting DOJs plea for no prison time Family and civil rights groups react .

LOUISVILLE Ky July 21 2025 — Former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in the 2020 police raid that led to Breonna Taylors death US District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings delivered the sentence firmly rejecting the Department of Justices recommendation for no prison time Jennings called the DOJs proposal “incongruous and inappropriate” stating it would undermine the jurys verdict and the gravity of the offense .

Blind Shots No Hits — But a Clear Conviction

During the widely condemned no knock raid in March 2020 Hankison fired 10 bullets blindly through a covered window and patio door into Taylors apartment None of his rounds struck Taylor but several endangered neighboring residents Taylor was fatally shot by other officers during the raid but Hankison was the only officer convicted in connection to the incident In November 2024 he was found guilty of violating Taylors civil rights following two earlier trials that ended in a hung jury and an acquittal on state charges .

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DOJs U Turn — And the Judges Rebuttal

Despite securing a conviction the DOJ reversed course submitting a sentencing memo asking for just one day in jail and probation citing that Hankison didn’t shoot Taylor directly Judge Jennings strongly rejected this recommendation asserting that such leniency would trivialize a serious violation of civil rights .

Outcry from Family and Civil Rights Advocates

Ben Crump attorney for Taylors family criticized the DOJs request as “a betrayal of the jurys decision” While he and the family had hoped for a stiffer sentence they expressed relief that Hankison will serve prison time At a rally outside the courthouse Crump led chants of “Say Her Name” with the crowd responding “Breonna Taylor” .

Taylors mother Tamika Palmer also condemned the DOJs approach expressing frustration at what she viewed as a failure to pursue true accountability .

National Impact and What Comes Next

The raid which yielded no drugs or cash intensified nationwide calls for police reform amid broader protests following George Floyds death Hankisons sentencing marks the first prison term for any officer involved in the raid Three other officers still face federal charges for falsifying the search warrant Their trials are pending .

Judge Jennings emphasized that while officers may face dangerous situations they must operate within constitutional limits Hankison is set to report to federal custody closing a chapter in one of the most pivotal civil rights cases of the decade .