Federal prosecutors have announced their intention to retry former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison for the third time in the civil rights case related to the shooting death of Breonna Taylor.
The decision comes in the aftermath of a mistrial in Hankison’s second trial, where he faced civil rights violation charges.
In the initial trial in 2022, Hankison was acquitted of felony wanton endangerment for firing shots into a neighboring apartment during the incident that led to Taylor’s death.
The second trial ended in a mistrial as the jury was deadlocked, prompting prosecutors to explore avenues to retry Hankison.
During a recent status hearing, federal prosecutor Michael Songer confirmed the government’s intention to pursue a third trial.
U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings tentatively scheduled the trial for October 2024, although prosecutors expressed interest in an earlier start in the summer.
Breonna Taylor lost her life during a police raid when officers, including Hankison, stormed her apartment.
Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were awakened by the intrusion, leading to Walker firing a shot, believing the presence of intruders.
In response, officers, including Hankison, returned multiple shots, with one fired by former officer Myles Cosgrove ultimately causing Taylor’s death.
In the previous trials, prosecutors argued that Hankison fired blindly into Taylor’s apartment and a neighboring one.
However, ballistics reports determined that Cosgrove’s shot was the fatal one. Notably, Cosgrove and other officers involved in the raid were never charged in connection to Taylor’s death.
The announcement of the retrial did not disclose the specific charges prosecutors plan to file against Hankison.
While a tentative trial date is set for October 2024, potential changes to Hankison’s defense counsel, including one lawyer’s retirement, may impact the timeline of the proceedings.
Another status hearing is scheduled for January 2024. The case continues to draw national attention as the legal proceedings unfold.
