Five Years After Her Killing, Ky. Rep Honors Breonna Taylor on U.S. House Floor

A Kentucky representative honored Breonna Taylor on the floor of the U.S. House floor in Washington D.C. to mark the 5th anniversary of her death.

“Breonna loved her family, her community, and more than anything, she loved life,” said Rep. Morgan McGarvey, a Louisville Democrat, on Wednesday, March 13. “In the face of injustice, we cannot be silent. We must speak up. We must say her name. Breonna Taylor.”

Taylor, 26, was shot and killed during a “no-knock” raid at her apartment in Louisville on March 13, 2020. Her death triggered outcry and waves of protests, which ramped up later that year following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police.

Taylor was killed when a group of Louisville police officers forced their way into her apartment while executing a search warrant for a drug dealer, who police alleged had once picked up a package from Taylor’s home. But the suspected drug dealer didn’t live in the building — and had actually just been arrested at a different location.

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Not knowing who was at the door and believing there was an intruder, Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired a warning shot as the officers began to enter the residence. Officers fired 22 shots back; five of those shots hit Taylor, who gasped for air on the floor of her home for five minutes before dying. 

Officer Brett Hankison was convicted on one count of civil rights abuse for shooting five shots through Taylor’s bedroom window, which was covered with blinds and a curtain. Hankison has yet to be sentenced for the crime. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Former Detective Joshua Jaynes and former LMPD Sergeant Kyle Meany were both charged with federal civil rights and obstruction offenses for the parts they played in preparing and approving a falsified search warrant affidavit. A trial date has not yet been set.

Detective Kelly Goodlett previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with Jaynes to falsify said affidavit. His sentencing is scheduled for April.

Taylor’s death led to a city-wide ban on no-knock warrants. Her family was awarded $12 million from the city of Louisville after they filed a wrongful death lawsuit.