STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Officer Involved In Breonna Taylor Fatal Shooting Pleads Not Guilty To Wanton Endangerment Charges

Out on bail, Brett Hankison appeared at his arraignment in Louisville on Monday

Brett Hankison, the only officer charged with any crime in connection to the shooting death of Breonna Taylor, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of wanton endangerment, the Louisville Courier-Journal reports.

The former Louisville Metro Police detective was indicted by a grand jury for shooting into Taylor's neighbor’s apartment. He faced no charges for Taylor's death. The 26-year-old EMT was struck with at least six bullets and died at the scene during a botched raid of her apartment on March 13. Hankison was firedin June after intense public pressure for justice. The other two officers involved in the deadly raid, Miles Cosgrove and John Mattingly, faced no consequences and have continued with their positions on the force.

RELATED: Breonna Taylor Case: New Bodycam Footage Shows Officers Involved In Shooting Breaking Protocols

After Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced the decision to charge Hankison only with wanton endangerment of Taylor's neighbors, he was booked into jail and released a half hour later by posting a $15,000 bond.

During Monday's hearing, Judge Ann Bailey Smith asserted that Hankison would not be allowed to carry any firearms while out on bond. HIs attorney Stewart Mathews appealed the restriction, citing self-defense reasons and saying Hankison has received "multiple threats" in recent days. The judge, nonetheless, refused the request.

Hankison will appear in court again on October 28 for a pre-trial conference.

BET has been covering every angle of the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks and other social justice cases and the subsequent aftermath and protests. For our continuing coverage, click here.

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.