LOUISVILLE, Ky. — After deliberating three hours, a Jefferson County jury found ex-Louisville Metro Police detective Brett Hankison not guilty Thursday on three counts of wanton endangerment in the raid that left Breonna Taylor dead in her apartment.
The wanton endangerment trial of Hankison, 45, was sent to a jury of eight men and four women just before noon Thursday after five days of witness testimony and a morning of closing arguments.
It didn't take them long to make a decision that brought protesters back out onto downtown Louisville's streets.
"Not guilty," tweeted retired Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, who was shot during the raid on Taylor's apartment. "Thank you, Jesus!"
At the courthouse, defense attorney Stew Mathews told reporters he was "thrilled" with the outcome.
"I think it was absolutely the fact that he was doing his job as a police officer," Mathews said. "I'm sort of at a loss for words right now. I think absolutely Brett was, the jury felt like, you go out and perform your duty and your brother officer gets shot, you've got a right to defend yourself.
"Simple as that."
"We respect the jury's verdict," prosecutor Barbara Maines Whaley told reporters as she left the courtroom. She declined to comment further.
Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, walked out after the verdict without comment.
But Taylor's sister, Juniyah Palmer, expressed her disgust with the verdict on social media.
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