Former Louisville Metro Police Department Detective Brett Hankison was booked and released from jail on Wednesday (Sep. 23) after he was indicted for the Breonna Taylor case, according to WAVE 3 News.
Hankison reportedly arrived to the Shelby County Detention Center and was released around 5 pm local time. Attorney Stew Matthews told WXIX in Cincinnati that his client will plead not guilty to the three charges of wanton endangerment during his arraignment.
“I don’t think the evidence will support the charge,” Matthews told the outlet.
On Wednesday, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced that Hankison would be the only officer charged in Taylor’s case. Each of the three wanton endangerment charges carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The other two officers who were involved in the shooting — Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove — were not charged, although Cameron said that Cosgrove fired the shot which ultimately killed Taylor.
Mattingly’s attorney, Todd McMurty, issued a statement Wednesday afternoon. “The grand jury’s decision to not indict Sgt. Mattingly or Det. Cosgrove shows that the system worked and that grand jurors recognized and respected the facts of the case.” the statement read. “The death of Breonna Taylor is a tragedy. But these officers did not act in a reckless or unprofessional manner. They did their duty, performed their roles as law enforcement officers and, above all, did not break the law.”
Following Cameron’s announcement, Benjamin Crump, the attorney representing Taylor’s family, took to Twitter to share his reaction of the charges. “Jefferson County Grand Jury indicts former ofc. Brett Hankison with 3 counts of Wanton Endangerment in 1st Degree for bullets that went into other apartments, but NOTHING for the murder of Breonna Taylor,” he tweeted. “This is outrageous and offensive!”
“If Brett Hankison’s behavior was wanton endangerment to people in neighboring apartments, then it should have been wanton endangerment in Breonna Taylor’s apartment too. In fact, it should have been ruled wanton murder!” Crump wrote in second tweet.