Breonna Taylor Case Reaches Final Decision

Photo Courtesy: Xavier Burrell, The New York Times

9/24/2020

By: Brandon Caudill

A long-awaited decision has been made by the Jefferson County Grand Jury regarding the case of Breonna Taylor.

As of Wednesday, September 23rd, the Louisville jury finds evidence to charge Officer Brett Hickison with three counts of First-Degree Wanton Endangerment after he and two other officers were involved in a shooting that killed Breonna Taylor, as stated by Judge Annie O'Connell. The charges are for shooting bullets in the surrounding homes, not including the death of Taylor.

Hickison could serve upwards of five years for each count if he is convicted. He has also been fired from the Louisville Police Department. The other two cops involved in the case were not charged.

The shooting occurred back in March of 2020 when Hickison and two other officers were issuing a late-night, "no-knock" warrant at Ms. Taylor’s apartment. Taylor’s boyfriend mistook the officers for intruders and opened fire but struck none of them. The officers began to fire into the house and struck Breonna Taylor multiple times, killing her. Allegedly, the officers were not in uniform and in the wrong home.

During the protests that sparked after the decision, two Louisville officers were shot in the streets. Both are expected to survive, and over 100 protesters were arrested.

Since her passing, Breonna Taylor has become a national symbol for racial equality and protests against police brutality. Her death and the subsequent death of George Floyd in May of 2020 have sparked the nation into "Black Lives Matter" protests, which many still continue to this day.