A Jefferson County grand jury Wednesday, indicted officer Brett Hankison, who was fired in June following a drug operation that led to the death of Breonna Taylor in March 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Hankison -- who was one of three police officers involved in the operation -- was indicted on three counts of wanton endangerment in the first degree.
A warrant was issued for Hankison's arrest and he was reportedly booked and released on $15,000 bail.
Wednesday's indictment comes 194 days after Taylor, a 26-year-old Black emergency medical worker, was shot six times by the officers who entered her home using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation on March 13.
Attorney General Daniel Cameron revealed at a press conference, that despite executing a no-knock warrant, the officers did announce themselves before busting down the door of the apartment occupied by Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker who allegedly opened fire.
While the grand jury concluded that officers Myles Cosgrove and Sgt. Johnathan Mattingly returned fire in self defense, Hankinson apparently fired recklessly.
Authorities found that the bullets fired by Hankison traveled into the neighboring apartment while three residents were home – a male, a pregnant female, and a child.
Officer Mattingly was shot in the leg and underwent surgery. No charges were announced against him and Cosgrove. Hankinson faces up to five years on each of the three counts against him if convicted.
Walker was initially accused of the attempted murder of a police officer, but local prosecutors later dropped the charge.
"I understand that Breonna Taylor's death is part of a national story, but the facts and evidence in this case are different than others...," Attorney General Cameron said. “If we simply act on emotion or outrage, there is no justice," Cameron said. "Mob justice is not justice. Justice sought by violence is not justice. It just becomes revenge."
Democrat governor Andy Beshear at a press conference called on Cameron to publicly release the facts and evidence that had been presented to the grand jury.
“So I previously made what I would call a suggestion to the attorney general," Beshear said. "And now I’m making the request that he post online all the information, evidence and facts that he can release without impacting the three felony counts in the indictment issued today.”
Large crowds of rioters began to march outside the barricaded zone set up by police around Jefferson Square Park after the grand jury decision and blocked intersections.
The riots has since escalated. And Fox News is reporting that two police officers have been shot.