Only one cop involved in the botched Breonna Taylor raid was indicted Wednesday after a grand jury made its determination.
And it was not for murder.
Brett Hankison, who was fired from the Louisville Police Department following the March 13 raid, was indicted on three counts of wanton endangerment because he fired his gun recklessly, putting neighbors in danger of being shot.
The decision left many police accountability activists disappointed, who were hoping the cops would be charged with murder.
Last week, the city of Louisville agreed to a $12 million settlement with Taylor’s family on the condition it does not have to admit any wrongdoing in the botched drug raid.
Earlier this week, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer declared a state of emergency in anticipation of civil unrest following the grand jury announcement.
Not indicted were Louisville Police Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove.
They were protected by Kentucky law that allows them to defend themselves if fired upon, even if they were the ones invading the home, according to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, grabbed his gun and fired, shooting Mattingly in the leg, before he realized they were cops. He even called 911 for help with the home invaders.
The wanton endangerment charge is punishable by one to five years in prison.
508.060 Wanton endangerment in the first degree. (1) A person is guilty of wanton endangerment in the first degree when, under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life, he wantonly engages in conduct which creates a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to another person. (2) Wanton endangerment in the first degree is a Class D felony.
In 2018, five of the officers involved in the Taylor raid conducted another no-knock raid on another innocent family based on questionable evidence, leaving family members traumatized and leading to no charges against the cops
We will be updating this story as it develops. In the meantime, you can watch the developments in the video at the top of the story.
Watch this video to see comments from the attorney general.
