Kentucky officer fired over Breonna Taylor death

Kentucky officer fired over Breonna Taylor death

One of three officers involved in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman killed in a hail of gunfire when drug investigators burst into her home in Louisville, Kentucky, three months ago was dismissed from the police department on Tuesday.

Ryan Brooks reports.

A Louisville, Kentucky police officer was fired over the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor on Tuesday (June 23).

Detective Brett Hankison was one of three officers involved in Taylor's death.

She was killed in a hail of gunfire when drug investigators burst into her home three months ago.

Taylor's death returned to prominence after the May 25th death of George Floyd while he was in police custody.

Nationwide protests against police brutality and racism have rallied around both of their names.

Taylor was a 26-year-old emergency medical technician and officers entered her apartment bearing a 'no-knock' arrest warrant.

In a termination notice, Louisville's police chief wrote Hankison quote 'displayed an extreme indifference to the value of human life' when he fired ten rounds into Taylor's home.

The chief also said the gunshots were fired through a door and window that obscured Hankison's line of sight, which prevented him from knowing whether anyone was inside, let alone whether they posed a threat.

Some of the rounds Hankison fired flew into the unit next door.

Immediately after Taylor's killing, police said her boyfriend Kenneth Walker fired on officers after they knocked on the door then forced entry.

Local media said one officer was struck in the leg before all three returned fire.

Walker was charged with attempted murder and assault, but the Louisville Courier-Journal said the charges were later dropped.

Two other officers involved remain on administrative reassignment, and no criminal charges have been fired against any of the three.