#kenneth walker

Alix Samuels at Daily Kos:

President Donald Trump’s Justice Department wants the cop convicted of violating Breonna Taylor’s civil rights to serve just one day in jail—and suggests he never should’ve been prosecuted in the first place.  The DOJ made the surprising request late Wednesday night, asking a judge to sentence Brett Hankison—the only officer convicted so far on criminal charges related to the deadly 2020 raid on Taylor’s apartment—to a single day behind bars, which would count as time served. The department also recommended three years of supervised release and used the memo to argue that Hankison never should have faced civil rights charges in the first place. The request wasn’t just unusually lenient—it was blatantly political. It wasn’t signed by the career prosecutors who handled the case, but by Trump appointee Harmeet Dhillon, who now heads the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, and her senior counsel, Robert Keenan. Neither had a role in prosecuting Hankison.

Hankison, a former Louisville officer, was found guilty last year after firing 10 shots through a covered window and glass door during a botched “no-knock” raid, endangering Taylor and her neighbors. None of the bullets hit Taylor, but several tore through the apartment’s walls and into the unit next door. Taylor was fatally shot by another officer after her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired a warning shot with a legally owned firearm. Taylor’s killing happened just weeks before the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and became a key moment for the Black Lives Matter movement—one of several cases that sparked nationwide protests against police violence. Before Hankison’s conviction, the only person held criminally responsible in the raid was Kelly Goodlett, a former detective who pleaded guilty to federal charges for helping falsify the search warrant used to enter Taylor’s home and cover up her actions after Taylor’s death.

If Hankison gets a lenient sentence, it could reignite anger among activists who say the justice system protects police officers from consequences. His federal conviction was the first time any officer had been held criminally responsible in Taylor’s death. He faces up to life in prison, with sentencing scheduled for Monday. But the DOJ’s new filing insists Hankison “did not shoot Ms. Taylor and is not otherwise responsible for her death.” The memo notes that the Justice Department respects the jury’s verdict, but questions whether the case should’ve gone forward at all, stating: “Counsel is unaware of another prosecution in which a police officer has been charged with depriving the rights of another person under the Fourth Amendment for returning fire and not injuring anyone.” 

I'm going to scream. They really said "we broke into your apartment, killed your girlfriend and bc you shot at us in self defense, we're suing you."

Meanwhile you have old white men talking about how they'll shoot anyone who steps anywhere near their property and it's alright. It's fine if white man threatens to shoot anyone who pisses him off. But if a black person tries to use a gun in self defense, suddenly having a gun will get you in trouble?

Reminder: Kenneth Walker was Breonna's boyfriend. Jonathan Mattingly is the cop that was suing Walker.

Edit: From the GoFundMe

MAY 22, 2020, by Kenicia Walker, Organizer

Today, Breonna's law was passed. This is a step in the right direction. Next one is to hold people responsible for her death and arrest her murderers and everyone involved in the attempt at cover-up.

I had legitimate tears in my eyes reading what Kenneth, her boyfriend, had to to through after Breonna's murder. That man was being framed for something he didn't do, all after losing his most important person.

It was that easy to jail and charge him on false claims. Why are her murderers still walking free and an innocent man spent time in jail because of a false testimony?

That's time in his life he will never get back, but you know what he'll also never get back and that's also directly on the police? Breonna. And most importantly, Breonna had her life taken from her over a police "mistake". It's time to see the culprits punished.

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