Only One Officer Indicted, but Not for Killing Breonna Taylor
Brett Hankison, the only officer fired in the aftermath of the late-night raid that led to the death of Breonna Taylor, was indicted for “wanton endangerment” by a Jefferson County grand jury today.
Hankison is not actually being charged with the killing of Taylor. The three charges he faces are for recklessly firing his weapon into a neighboring apartment with three occupants who were not hit by the shots, according to the decision. However, Taylor’s initials, “BT,” were not listed as the occupant of any of the apartments Hankison shot into.
This announcement means that no officers are being directly held liable for Taylor’s murder.
Taylor’s family received a $12 million settlement from Louisville, which did not require the city to acknowledge wrongdoing in the tragedy.
Now, at least two states are preparing the National Guard. Governors from Taylor’s home state, Kentucky, and Illinois have told press that they are ready to send troops in to quell dissent.
“As the governor has always said, all of the state’s resources are available to municipalities if needed; this includes additional Illinois State Police troopers and the National Guard,” a statement from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration said.
It’s not new but solidifies that lawful protests will be met with the same force that they have in the past. Nearly 62,000 National Guard troops were sent to 24 states after the killing of George Floyd by police.
If you are going out to protest, make sure to be prepared. Wear a mask, and read up on how to deal with chemical weapons commonly used against protesters.
