4 current and former Louisville cops face federal charges in Breonna Taylor shooting

Four current and former officers with the Louisville Metro Police Department have been federally charged in connection with the 2020 death of Breonna Taylor, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday.

“Among other things, the federal charges announced today allege that members of LMPD’s Place-Based Investigations Unit falsified the affidavit used to obtain the search warrant of Ms. Taylor’s home, that this act violated federal civil rights laws, and that those violations resulted in Ms. Taylor’s death,” Garland said at a press conference.

Taylor was a 26-year-old Black EMT who was fatally shot by LMPD officers in her Kentucky apartment in March 2020. Cops executing a search warrant broke down the door to her home. Her boyfriend fired a shot that hit one of the cops as they entered. Cops returned fire, killing Taylor.

The first indictment charged Joshua Jaynes — who was fired from the department in January 2021 after being accused of lying on the search warrant that led to the deadly raid — and current Louisville Sgt. Kyle Meany with federal civil rights and obstruction offenses for their roles in preparing and approving a false search warrant affidavit that resulted in Taylor’s death.

LMPD Detective Kelly Hanna Goodlett, who was part of a unit that led the investigation into Taylor’s ex-boyfriend, was charged with conspiring with Jaynes to falsify the search warrant for Taylor’s home and to cover up their actions afterward.

Police said Thursday that termination procedures for Goodlett and Meany are now underway.

The cops involved in the raid “were not involved in the drafting of the warrant, and were unaware of the false and misleading statements,” Garland said.

Former Louisville Police Detective Brett Hankison — who was among the officers who took part in a failed narcotics raid that killed Taylor, and one of three officers who fired shots that night — was indicted on two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law.

Earlier this year, he was acquitted by a jury of state charges of wanton endangerment for firing a shot the went into a neighboring apartment but did not hit anyone. He was dismissed from the department in 2020.

Breonna Taylor was killed during a police raid on her home.

“Breonna Taylor should be alive today,” Garland said, adding that federal officials “share but cannot fully imagine the grief” felt by her family.

Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, said she has waited 874 days for police to be held accountable. “Today’s overdue but it still hurts,” she said. “You all [are] learning today that we’re not crazy.”

Kentucky Mayor Greg Fischer thanked the federal government for “tirelessly” pursuing the case.

“After two long years of relentless investigations, today’s indictments are a critical step forward in the process toward achieving justice for Breonna Taylor,” the Democratic mayor said in a statement.

“While we cannot reverse her tragic death, we can and must continue to pursue justice for her,” he added.

With News Wire Services