Brett Hankison, a former Kentucky police officer, was sentenced on Monday, 2024-MM-DD, to 33 months in prison for violating Breonna Taylor's civil rights during a raid on her home in March 2020 where she was fatally shot. Hankison fired 10 shots into Taylor's apartment, but did not directly cause her death. The sentence followed a jury verdict in November 2023 finding him guilty of using excessive force. Taylor's family welcomed the sentence, though expressing it did not fully reflect the severity of the harm caused. The Justice Department under the Trump administration had recommended no additional prison time for Hankison. Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings rejected that recommendation, stating it treated the shooting as "an inconsequential crime."

Taylor's death, alongside that of George Floyd, sparked widespread racial justice protests across the US and internationally. Taylor's mother, Tanika Palmer, addressed the court, expressing the profound impact of her daughter's death. Hankison's sentence also includes three years of supervised release. The charges against him carried a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Impact Statement: The sentencing concludes one aspect of the legal proceedings related to Breonna Taylor's death, but the case continues to be significant in the ongoing national conversation about police brutality and racial justice.