Breonna Taylor was killed in 2020. No officers of the police force will be held responsible.Former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison was the only one criminally charged with the murder. He faced three charges of wanton danger. Hankison was found not guilty by a jury on Thursday.
Hankison, who was on trial for the killing of Taylor and a no-knock raid in which Taylor died, said that he had done nothing wrong.
Hankison fired at a window that lead to Taylor’s apartment during the raid. The apartment belonged to Cody Etherton and Chelsea Napper. Napper also had a 5-year-old son. Etherton testified that Hankison’s shots came dangerously close to hitting him—”one or two more inches and I would have been shot,” he said.
Kentucky Assistant Attorney General Barbara Whaley told the court that Hankison had fired “with no target” and “his wanton conduct could have multiplied one tragic death, (that of) Breonna Taylor…by three, easily.”
It was for endangering Taylor’s neighbors that Hankison was charged—NotTaylor was killed. Neither of the two officers—former Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly (who retired) and former Detective Myles Cosgrove (who was fired)— who executed the raid with Hankison were charged in Taylor’s death, either. An officer of the grand jury considering indictments stated that they weren’t presented with any option to accuse Taylor’s officers.
Nor were any of those who planned the botched raid—part of a drug investigation into Jamarcus Glover—charged in her death, despite the dubious circumstances surrounding the raid itself. Glover and Taylor had a relationship, but they weren’t together anymore. He also didn’t live in her apartment. Glover was alleged to have received suspicious packages there from time to time. However, these packages actually came from Amazon.
“The people [responsible for the raid]”She escaped from criminal liability and vividly illustrated how war on drugs turns murder into self defense,” ReasonJacob Sullum of’s wrote the following month.
Taylor’s killing was one of the major incidents—along with the murder of George Floyd—that set off a string of summer 2020 protests against police violence. Many people in many cities demanded reforms to end no-knock raids as well as qualified immunity so police can be held responsible for their wrongful acts.
In the wake of the protests, a number of places—including Louisville and the state of Kentucky—passed measures to either limit or ban no-knock raids. But a federal measure to end the practice—the Justice for Breonna Taylor Act, from Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul—went nowhere. Ilhan Omar (Minnesota Democratic Rep.) recently presented another attempt to reduce the number of no-knock attacks. A federal investigation is still ongoing into Taylor’s death. However, there have not been any charges.
The conclusion of Hankison’s trial shows is yet another reminder of how little actually changed since Taylor was killed in her own home, after police broke in unannounced and her boyfriend Kenneth Walker III—thinking they were intruders—fired at them. She was killed by the subsequent firefight from police officers.
Frederick Moore III was one of Walker’s attorneys and stated in response to the Hankison verdict that “This wasn’t justice for Mr. Etherton or Ms. Napper or her young child.” Breonna Taylor and Kenneth Walker were not given justice. Kenneth Walker was attacked by the government and now lives with us in denial of any apology or acknowledgement for the damage done.
UKRAINE UPDATES
After Russian bombardment, a fire erupted at the Ukrainian nuclear power station. The fire started in an administrative building at the Zaporizhzhia plant—the largest nuclear power plant in Europe—and was extinguished before it could do more damage. Russian troops are currently occupying this plant.
Energoatom, the operator of the plant, stated in Telegram that “Unfortunately there are dead-and-wounded among the Ukrainian station defenders”.
Europe needs to wake up. “Europe’s biggest nuclear power station is on fire,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, stated in a Facebook statement. Russian tanks have begun firing on nuclear units. These tanks have thermal imagers. They know exactly where they’re shooting and have prepared for it!
According to authorities, there has been no increase in radiation levels.
FREE MINDS
On misinformation bans:
Now, Westerners are restricted from accessing Putin’s propaganda by bans
Propaganda is not something that interests most people. There is cause to be cautious.
Bans are not only out of line with misinformation science, but they can also be detrimental to democracy. These bans may be harmful to democracy’s fight.
Evidence-based ???? (1/16)
— Michael Bang Petersen (@M_B_Petersen) March 3, 2022
GRATIS MARKETS
Why is it that people don’t want to speak about FOSTA as much as they do about Section 230? Probably because the 2018 law—formally titled the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act—doesn’t make congressional efforts to overhaul this federal communications law Again look very good—something Quinta Jurecic explores at length in a new report from the Brookings Institution.
“FOSTA would seem to be an obvious touchstone for discussions around § 230 reform today. It’s not only a recent precedent, but one that enjoyed bipartisan support by a wide margin—no small feat in a polarized time,” notes Jurecic. FOSTA is not a good model, however.
Research suggests that law placed sexual workers at risk. People lost access to sites used to promote and discuss sex and were instead forced to work in hazardous conditions on the streets. And apart from FOSTA’s changes to § 230, a July 2021 report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) showed that federal prosecutors have had little use for the additional criminal penalties for sex trafficking established by FOSTA. This law could have even hindered the investigation and prosecution of trafficking.
However, Congress appears to be unwilling to review its previous work. Capitol Hill received the GAO report with little celebration. And FOSTA remains almost entirely absent from current political discussions around amending § 230.
FOSTA analysis with clarity would require lawmakers to admit that they have made mistakes and to make a new one. FOSTA transparency and honesty means that legislators must be honest and open about FOSTA.
QUICK HITS
• Ukrainians in the U.S. are getting temporary protected status, meaning they will not be deported even if their visas have expired.
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed “Care Courts”, which will force people to receive treatment for mental and substance disorders.
• Idaho moves forward on passing a Texas-style abortion ban. Florida legislators have now passed legislation that would prohibit abortion after 15 weeks.
• The school superintendent who made students take off their clothes so she could search for vaping devices is now facing six counts of false imprisonment.
• Ohio lawmakers have voted to eliminate permits for concealed carry weapons. Governor Mike DeWine is currently awaiting the approval of this measure. Mike DeWine is now expected to sign it.
• Sherri Papini, a woman whose high-profile disappearance was publicized as an abduction with possible ties to sex trafficking, now faces criminal charges for allegedly making the whole thing up. Papini—who was arrested yesterday—”is accused of lying to investigators in 2020 when presented with evidence the kidnapping was faked; and of defrauding California out of more than $30,000 in victim assistance money,” NBC News reports.