In a recent ruling, a federal judge dismissed major felony charges against two former Louisville officers accused of falsifying a warrant that led police to Breonna Taylor’s door before she was fatally shot. U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson stated that Taylor’s boyfriend firing a shot at police during the raid was the legal cause of her death, not the warrant itself. The charges against former Louisville Police Detective Joshua Jaynes and former Sgt. Kyle Meany were announced by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 during a visit to Louisville.
Simpson’s ruling effectively reduced the civil rights violation charges against Jaynes and Meany to misdemeanors, as he found no direct link between the warrantless entry and Taylor’s death. The judge did not dismiss a conspiracy charge against Jaynes and another charge against Meany for making false statements to investigators. When the police broke down Taylor’s door in 2020, her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired a shot at them, believing they were intruders. Officers returned fire, resulting in Taylor’s death in her hallway.
The judge concluded that Walker’s actions were the legal cause of Taylor’s death, disrupting the events that led up to the shooting. Walker was initially charged with attempted murder of a police officer, but the charge was later dropped when it was determined that he did not know he was firing at police. Taylor’s family is devastated by the ruling and stated they will continue to fight for justice for Breonna Taylor. The U.S. Justice Department is reviewing the judge’s decision and considering next steps.
A third former officer, Kelly Goodlett, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in connection with the federal warrant case. Goodlett is expected to testify against Jaynes and Meany at their trials. Federal prosecutors alleged that Jaynes had falsely claimed information from a postal inspector connecting Taylor to criminal activity and that Goodlett knew this was untrue. When the shooting gained national attention, Jaynes and Goodlett met to align their stories before Jaynes spoke to investigators about the warrant.
Another former officer, Brett Hankison, was charged with endangering the lives of Taylor, Walker, and neighbors when he fired into Taylor’s windows during the raid. A trial for Hankison ended with a hung jury, but he is scheduled to be retried on the charges in October. The Justice Department is assessing next steps after the judge’s ruling, and prosecutors plan to appeal the decision. Despite the setbacks, Taylor’s family remains committed to seeking full justice for Breonna Taylor.
