LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The acquittal of an ex-Louisville officer tied to the botched drug raid that ended with Breonna Taylor's death is stirring the frustrations of her family and protesters.
The former officer, Brett Hankison, was not charged in her death and did not fire the shots that killed her.
Instead, he was charged with endangering neighbors when he fired into Taylor's apartment.
Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, sat in on the trial for several days.
She left the courtroom quickly Thursday after a jury cleared Hankison of wanton endangerment charges.
Palmer said later on social media that though the trial was not about her daughter's death, the former narcotics detective should have been convicted.
During his testimony, Hankison said that Taylor "didn't need to die that night," the Associated Press reported.
The former officer testified that the gunfire began with a muzzle flash that illuminated a shadowy silhouette, and he thought it was someone firing an automatic rifle at his fellow officers.
He added that he returned fire hoping to eliminate the threat.
In March 2020, Taylor, a 26-year-old Black medical worker, was fatally shot in her home during a botched police raid.
According to the news outlet, the obtained warrant was later found to be flawed.
Two of the officers who fired shots that struck Taylor, Myles Cosgrove and Jonathan Mattingly, were not charged.