Officer Brett Hankison was sentenced on Monday, 2025-07-29, to 33 months in prison by US District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings in Louisville, Kentucky, for violating Breonna Taylor's civil rights during a 2020 raid. This sentence follows a November 2024 federal jury conviction for excessive force. The Justice Department, under political appointees Harmeet Dhillon and Robert Keenan, had recommended a one-day sentence, a decision that sparked outrage from Taylor's family and criticism due to its contrast with a pre-sentencing report recommending 135-168 months. The judge rejected the department's recommendation, stating that no prison time was inappropriate given the circumstances.

Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency room technician, was fatally shot in her apartment during the raid on March 13, 2020, after police executed a no-knock warrant based on faulty evidence. Hankison fired 10 shots into her apartment, though he did not directly cause her death. The incident, alongside the death of George Floyd, fueled widespread racial justice protests across the US.

The sentencing represents a significant development in the ongoing legal battle surrounding Taylor's death and highlights the complexities and controversies surrounding police accountability and prosecutorial decisions within the context of political influence. Four individuals were arrested outside the courthouse following the sentencing for disruptive behavior.

Impact Statement: The sentence, while rejecting the DOJ's lenient recommendation, is likely to further fuel the debate surrounding police brutality, racial justice, and the influence of political appointees on judicial processes.