Case overview
Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency room technician, was killed in her Louisville apartment on March 13, 2020, when three plainclothes officers executed a no-knock warrant shortly after midnight. Officers fired more than 30 rounds after Taylor’s boyfriend, believing the entry was a break-in, fired one shot that struck an officer in the leg. Taylor was hit six times and died in the hallway.
The warrant and the raid
Louisville Metro Police Department officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove arrived at Taylor’s Springfield Drive apartment just before 1:00 a.m. They were executing a search warrant tied to a narcotics investigation involving Taylor’s ex-boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover, who had been seen picking up packages at her address months earlier. Glover did not live at the apartment and was already in custody at another location when the raid occurred.
The warrant authorized a no-knock entry, meaning officers were not required to announce themselves before breaching the door. Whether they announced remains one of the most disputed facts in the case. Mattingly and other officers later stated they knocked and announced multiple times before using a battering ram. Kenneth Walker, Taylor’s boyfriend, and nearly all interviewed neighbors said they heard loud banging but no police identification.
Walker, a licensed gun owner, fired a single shot from a 9mm handgun as the door came open. That round struck Mattingly in the femoral artery. Officers returned fire immediately. Cosgrove fired 16 rounds. Mattingly discharged six. Hankison, positioned outside, fired 10 shots blindly through a covered patio door and window. Six bullets struck Taylor. One hit her pulmonary artery. She collapsed in the hallway and received no medical attention for more than 20 minutes.
Kenneth Walker and the initial arrest
Walker called 911 at 12:47 a.m., telling the dispatcher someone had kicked in the door and shot his girlfriend. He did not know the intruders were police. Officers arrested him at the scene and charged him with attempted murder of a police officer and first-degree assault. Walker maintained he believed the apartment was being burglarized and fired in self-defense.
Prosecutors dropped the charges in May 2020 with the option to re-file. In March 2021, the Commonwealth’s Attorney permanently dismissed the case. Walker later filed a civil lawsuit alleging false arrest, malicious prosecution, and assault. That case was settled in 2022.
The investigation that followed
The Louisville Metro Police Department placed Hankison on administrative reassignment in May 2020. He was terminated in June for blindly firing into the apartment, violating department policy on use of deadly force. Mattingly and Cosgrove were placed on administrative leave. Cosgrove was terminated in January 2021 for violating use-of-force policy.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron presented the case to a grand jury in September 2020. The jury did not indict any officer for Taylor’s death. Hankison was indicted on three counts of wanton endangerment for firing into a neighboring apartment, not for shooting Taylor. He was acquitted of those charges in March 2022.
An FBI ballistics review later determined that the shot that killed Taylor was fired by Cosgrove. That finding was consistent with the Kentucky Attorney General’s investigation. No officer was charged in connection with her death under state law.
The federal charges
In August 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice charged four current and former Louisville officers in connection with Taylor’s death. Hankison and former detective Joshua Jaynes were charged with civil rights offenses. Jaynes, who prepared the search warrant affidavit, was accused of knowingly using false information to obtain the warrant. The affidavit stated that a postal inspector had verified that Glover was receiving packages at Taylor’s address. The postal inspector later said that was not accurate.
Former detective Kelly Goodlett was charged with conspiring with Jaynes to falsify the warrant and cover up the false statements afterward. She pleaded guilty in August 2022. Former sergeant Kyle Meany was charged with making a false statement to federal investigators.
Hankison was charged with violating Taylor’s civil rights by using excessive force. His first federal trial in November 2023 ended in a mistrial after the jury could not reach a verdict. He was retried in November 2024 and convicted on one count of violating Taylor’s civil rights. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The disputed evidence
The central dispute remains whether officers announced themselves before entering. Mattingly testified that he knocked and announced loudly enough to wake neighbors. One witness, Aaron Sarpee, initially told investigators he heard officers announce. He later said he felt pressured to make that statement and recanted. Eleven other neighbors interviewed said they heard banging but no announcement. Walker consistently stated he and Taylor called out asking who was there but received no response.
Body camera footage does not exist for the entry itself. Louisville officers were not required to activate body cameras during the execution of search warrants at the time. Audio from Walker’s 911 call, police radio traffic, and witness statements formed the primary record of the moments during and after the shooting.
The warrant itself became a focal point. It was approved based on claims that Glover had been using Taylor’s address to receive mail and that Glover had been seen leaving her apartment with a package in January 2020. Investigators also claimed Taylor’s car had been observed outside a known drug house. No drugs, cash, or evidence of narcotics activity were found in Taylor’s apartment.
The aftermath and policy changes
Taylor’s death became a central reference in national protests against police violence in the summer of 2020. Demonstrations in Louisville continued for months. In June 2020, the Louisville Metro Council passed Breonna’s Law, which banned no-knock warrants in the city. Kentucky’s legislature enacted statewide restrictions on no-knock warrants in 2021, requiring body cameras during execution and limiting the hours in which such warrants can be served.
The city of Louisville settled a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Taylor’s family in September 2020 for $12 million, one of the largest settlements in a police misconduct case. The agreement also included police reform commitments, including changes to warrant approval processes and requirements for body camera use.
Where the case stands
Brett Hankison’s conviction in federal court represents the first criminal conviction of an officer involved in Taylor’s death. His sentencing is scheduled for 2025. Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany are awaiting trial on federal charges related to the warrant. Kelly Goodlett awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to conspiracy.
Myles Cosgrove and Jonathan Mattingly have not been charged federally or under state law. Cosgrove was terminated but appealed through the department’s internal process. He has since sought employment with other law enforcement agencies. Mattingly retired from the Louisville Metro Police Department in 2021.
The broader questions around accountability, warrant procedures, and use of force remain unresolved in many jurisdictions. Taylor’s case reshaped debate around no-knock raids and transparency in police operations, but the gap between policy change and prosecution remains wide.
Where to look next
- Documentary: “Breonna Taylor: Say Her Name” (FX)
- Podcast: “Breonna Taylor” (“Dateline NBC”, NBC News)
- Book: “Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland” by Kate Linthicum
