Officer involved in Breonna Taylor fatal shooting to be fired, Louisville mayor says

A Louisville police officer “blindly fired 10 rounds” into Breonna Taylor’s home the night the 26-year-old Black woman was killed in March, according to acting chief of police Robert Schroeder.

Schroeder’s remarks came in a termination letter against Brett Hankison, one of the three officers involved in the March 13 death of Taylor.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said Friday morning that termination procedures have begun for Hankison. The officer has not publicly commented on the termination proceedings.

Schroeder wrote in Hankison’s termination letter that the officer “displayed an extreme indifference to the value of human life” when he “blindly” fired into Taylor’s home

Hankison’s conduct was “a shock to the conscience,” Schroeder wrote in the letter.

Schroeder said 10 shots Hankison fired “created a substantial danger of death and serious injury to Breonna Taylor.” A copy of the letter was shared on the police department’s Facebook page on Friday.

Fischer said he could not comment further on the proceedings.

“Unfortunately, due to a provision in state law that I very much would like to see changed, both the Chief and I are precluded from talking about what brought us to this moment, or even the timing of this decision,” the mayor said in a statement.

Taylor, an ER technician, died after police in Louisville, Kentucky, executed a “no-knock” warrant at her apartment during a narcotics investigation, shooting her at least eight times.

As three officers forced their way into Taylor’s apartment, her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, shot and wounded Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, who along with detectives Myles Cosgrove and Hankison fired more than 20 rounds.

Walker was charged with attempted murder of a police officer, but that charge was dismissed in May.

In a 911 call, Walker said that “somebody kicked in the door and shot my girlfriend.”

All three officers were placed on administrative leave, and the case is being investigated by the FBI.

FBI agents were at Taylor’s home Friday morning continuing their investigation, FBI Louisville announced on Twitter.

“When investigating potential civil rights violations, the FBI will take a fresh look at all the evidence, including interviewing witnesses who have already spoken to the investigating agency, interviewing witnesses who have not yet spoken to law enforcement and examining all physical and video evidence to better understand what transpired. Today’s action is part of this process,” FBI Louisville said.

Schroeder said he was “alarmed and stunned” Hankison used deadly force the way he did.

“You have never been trained by the Louisville Metro Police Department to use deadly force in this fashion,” he wrote. “Your actions have brought discredit upon yourself and the Department. Your conduct has severely damaged the image of our Department we have established with our community.”

Protests have been ongoing in Louisville for more than three weeks following Taylor’s death.

Sam Aguiar, a lawyer for Taylor’s family, told WDRB’s Jason Riley after the termination announcement “it’s about time.”

“I hope to God he’s never back working our streets again,” Aguiar said, per WDRB.

Hankison is also involved in a sexual assault investigation within the police department. At least two women say Hankison assaulted them, according to the Courier-Journal.

He has denied the sexual assault allegations against him.

This story was originally published June 19, 2020 at 12:02 PM.