By Dylan Lovan
Associated Press
A Kentucky jury on Thursday acquitted a former police officer accused of endangering the lives of a family in a neighboring apartment with his shots during the anti-narcotics operation that ended with the death of the young black Breonna Taylor in March 2020.
The panel of eight men and four women delivered its verdict about three hours after taking the case after closing arguments by the prosecution and defense attorneys.
Hankison had been charged with three counts of wrongful endangerment for shooting through the sliding glass side doors and a window of Taylor's apartment during the raid that killed the 26-year-old.
His lawyers did not contest the ballistics evidence but said he fired 10 times because he thought his companions were "being executed" by being shot from inside the house.
The 45-year-old former police officer testified during the trial that he saw a flash in the dark hallway Taylor was in after police stormed the door, and thought the officers were under heavy fire, so he quickly turned around. into a corner and fired 10 bullets, hoping to end the threat.
But in their closing arguments, prosecutors questioned what Hankison said he saw, questioning whether he could have looked through Taylor's front door when police broke it down.
"He was never at the door," Kentucky Assistant Attorney General Barbara Maines Whaley told the jury.
Referring to Taylor, she added: "His unwarranted conduct of hers could easily have tripled the deaths."
