Jurors in the trial for the only person criminally charged in the deadly 2020 raid that resulted in the death of Breonna Taylor have visited the scene of the shooting in Louisville on Friday.
Brett Hankison, a former Kentucky police officer, is charged with three counts of wanton endangerment, a felony with a range of one to five years in prison.
Taylor, 26, a Black woman, worked as an emergency medical tech and was settling down for bed on March 13, 2020, when Louisville officers with a narcotics warrant kicked in her door. They drew fire from Taylor’s boyfriend, who thought an intruder was breaking in. Two officers at the door returned fire, killing Taylor. Neither was charged in her death. Louisville settled with her family for $12 million.
Judge Ann Bailey Smith instructed members of the jury to not speak about the scene to the attorneys or with each other on the visit. The trip to the site is to help the jurors better understand court exhibits, she explained.
Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, and sister, Juniyah Palmer, also sat in on the trial Friday morning.
