TW: GUNS, MURDER, DEATH, RACISM
On the 13th March 2020, shortly after midnight, Breonna Taylor was in bed with her boyfriend Kenneth Walker, when three police officers, Brett Hankinson, Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove who had a no-knock warrant used a battering ram to break down the door to her apartment. The police claim that they announced themselves, but that has been disputed by Breonna's family and a neighbour. Neither Breonna or her boyfriend had a history of drug offences.
Kenneth, a licensed gun owner, thought someone was trying to break into their apartment, and fired one bullet, which struck an officer in the leg. The police fired 32 times, hitting Breonna six times. She died on the hallway floor.
No drugs were found in the apartment.
In the subsequent police report, Breonna's injuries were listed as 'none' and it said no force was used to enter, when a battering ram was.
Brett Hankinson was fired from the Louisville Metro Police Department in June after it was found that he had "wantonly and blindly fired 10 rounds". Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove were re-assigned to administrative duties.
Brett Hankinson has been charged with "wanton endangerment" for firing into a neighbour's apartment. Wanton endangerment is when someone commits an act that shows "an extreme indifference to the value of human life"
A ballistics report concluded that out of the six bullets that struck Breonna, only one was fatal, and that bullet was fired by Myles Cosgrove.
The top prosecutor said that Myles Cosgrove and Jonathan Mattingly had been "justified to protect themselves and the justification bars us from pursuing criminal charges"
Breonna's murder was unjustified, she had no weapon and her boyfriend only fired once when he thought someone was breaking in. One officer charged for hitting her neighbour's apartment is not enough. All of the officers need to be
charged for the murder of Breonna Taylor.
