Attorneys for Breonna Taylor’s family have released a statement on the sentencing of former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison to 33 months in prison for violating Taylor’s civil rights during the botched 2020 raid that ended in her death.
Civil rights lawyers Ben Crump, Lonita Baker, and Sam Aguiar expressed disappointment in the outcome, stating that while the sentence surpassed what the Department of Justice requested, it still falls short of full accountability.
“While today’s sentence is not what we had hoped for –– nor does it fully reflect the severity of the harm caused –– it is more than what the Department of Justice sought,” the attorneys said. “That, in itself, is a statement. The jury found Brett Hankison guilty, and that verdict deserved to be met with real accountability.”
Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, requested a sentence in line with federal guidelines, and the legal team says they respect the court’s decision but remain critical of the DOJ.
“We will continue to call out the DOJ’s failure to stand firmly behind Breonna’s rights and the rights of every Black woman whose life is treated as expendable,” they concluded.
The sentencing comes more than four years after Taylor’s killing, which sparked nationwide protests and calls for justice in cases of police violence against Black Americans.