Brett Hankison says he had ‘no choice but to react’ during Breonna Taylor raid
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS) — The federal civil rights trial of former Louisville Metro Police Officer Brett Hankison continues into its second week.
A 16-person jury will ultimately decide if Hankison violated 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 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.
Last year, Hankison was acquitted on multiple wanton endangerment charges in a state trial.
DAY 6: Thursday, November 9
Brett Hankison emotionally took the stand on Thursday, sharing what led to his actions on Springfield Drive. He said he was clocked out the night of the raid, but volunteered to help execute the warrant at Breonna Taylor’s apartment.
Similar to other testimonies, Hankison said he and other officers knocked and announced their presence at Taylor’s door, but no on answered.
That’s when they rammed through the door and Hankison said he saw a muzzle flash revealing a man in a “rifle stance.”
Hankison said he immediately ran towards the parking lot but before reaching the stairway he heard his friend, and former LMPD sergeant, John Mattingly yell he was hit by a bullet.
Mattingly, also taking the stand on Thursday, said he saw Kenneth Walker holding a handgun, not a rifle.
Hankison said there was so much gunfire, he thought officers were trapped in the breezeway, taking fire from an automatic weapon. He said he isolated the target, saw muzzle flashes in Taylor’s sliding door, and fired five rounds inside. He then fired another five rounds through a bedroom window.
“I had no choice but to react,” Hankison testified, fighting back tears.
Hankison admitted he wasn’t thinking about police protocols at the time, but said he was “thinking about surviving and getting my fellow officers out of the breezeway.”
During the cross examination, prosecutors circled back to LMPD’s polices, which Hankison responded: “Unfortunately, Mr. Walker chose deadly force.”
Afterwards, the defense addressed the allegations that Hankison was boasting after the shooting. Hankison said he was pointing and touched his chest to let SWAT officers know he fired through the window.
He went on to say that he feels horrible about that night.
“So many people have experienced hardship because of this warrant they never should have served,” he said.
Court has wrapped up for the week and will begin again on Monday with closing statements.
DAY 5: Wednesday, November 8
Court proceedings began Wednesday with the jury visiting Breonna Taylor’s apartment.
This request had been made by Hankison’s defense so the jury could see his point of view and give them a better understanding of the evidence.
Once back in the courtroom, former LMPD SWAT Commander Dale Massey testified it’s important for officers to identify a target when using deadly force because “you don’t want to take an innocent person’s life.”
When he arrived at Taylor’s apartment after the shooting, Massey said former LMPD Detective Myles Cosgrove was the calmest person on the scene that morning.
Similar to another officer’s testimony, Massey said he saw Hankison “tapping his chest” and pointing at the window, as if he was “taking credit” for the bullet holes.
When he learned officers had shot through the window and sliding door, he was in “complete and utter shock and disbelief” because he couldn’t see through Taylor’s covered window or sliding door. He said shooting blindly violates LMPD’s police training.
“You can’t shoot at what you can’t see,” he said.
The defense argued that Hankison had a line of sigh through the gaps of the window and fired at the sound of a rifle.
Hankison’s defense called their first witness to the stand Wednesday, Officer Mike Nobles, who was there the morning of the raid, and agreed that the echo of gunfire sounded like a rifle. He said after Cosgrove returned fire in Taylor’s doorway, he didn’t hear anymore gunshots, which contradicts what prosecutors say happened.
During the prosecution’s cross examination, Attorney Ana Gotfryd brought up prior statements Nobles made to the FBI. Gotfryd said Nobles told agents he was infuriated that Hankison blindly shot through the apartment.
FBI interviews also show Nobles said Hankison’s actions made them look like “horrible cops and criminals.”
DAY 4: Tuesday, November 7
The prosecution for Hanksion’s civil rights trial continued with Cody Etherton, Breonna Taylor’s neighbor. At the time of the raid, he was living with a his pregnant girlfriend, Chelsea Napper, and her 5-year-old son.
He recalled how they were fast asleep when Hankison shot through their home. He woke up to a “loud boom” and immediately jumped to his feet. He said he could hear the walls shake, but not the voices of anyone, and had a gut feeling something was wrong.
Etherton said he made his way to the hallway to see what was happening in order to protect his family. While there, he heard rounds of gunfire. Bullets started flying through the wall, nearly missing him.
