A good four years ago, US police officers stormed the home of Breonna Taylor, a black woman, and killed her. Now one of those involved has been found guilty – but not because of the fatal shots.
More than four years after the death of American Breonna Taylor, a former police officer has been found guilty of violating her civil rights. Brett H. is the first officer directly involved in the case to be convicted.
Fired ten times through covered window and door
In March 2020, the then-police officer fired ten bullets through a bedroom window covered by curtains and blinds and the door of the 26-year-old black paramedic in Louisville, Kentucky. Although none of the bullets hit Taylor, a jury found that H. used excessive force during the attack. The sentence is to be announced in March; the police officer faces a maximum of life imprisonment, it was said.
The ex-officer is the first of four police officers charged federally in connection with Taylor's death to be convicted. Two of the police officers are accused of falsifying an affidavit regarding a search warrant, and a third has already pleaded guilty to allegations relating to the search warrant. However, no one was charged with Taylor's killing.
Shootout with friend
The 26-year-old emergency paramedic was shot by white police officers on March 13, 2020, when plainclothes officers apparently stormed her apartment without warning at night based on a search warrant. Taylor's friend believed he was being robbed and opened fire with his gun, which he legally owned. The officers fired back, fatally hitting Taylor, while her boyfriend was uninjured. According to US media reports, they were looking for Taylor's ex-boyfriend, who wasn't even there.
The name of the 26-year-old black paramedic became a symbol of the movement against racism and police violence, similar to that of George Floyd – who was also killed by police officers just two months later. The fact that no one was held responsible in connection with Taylor's death caused outrage and protests.
