LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The trial of the only officer charged with a crime as a result of the raid on Breonna Taylor's apartment will begin this week.
Former Louisville Metro Police Detective Brett Hankison is charged with wanton endangerment, accused of firing "blindly" into Taylor's apartment with some of those bullets ending up in neighboring apartments.Â
The process of jury selection began in early February with a pool of 250 potential jurors. That group was individually questioned by attorneys about their knowledge and opinions on the case. The group was cut down to 48.
General jury selection will begin Tuesday from the group of 48. The jury will be comprised of 12 people with three alternates. Opening statements could begin as soon as Wednesday.Â
Cincinnati attorney Stew Mathews, who represents Hankison, tried to ban the public and media from covering the jury selection process, saying it could affect the candor of perspective jurors. The motion failed. Mathews once again made a motion Tuesday to move the trial out of Jefferson County, saying most of the jurors indicated on a questionnaire that they had "some opinion" about what happened to Taylor.
Judge Ann Bailey Smith denied the motion citing the need to question jurors first.
The city paid $12 million in 2020 to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Taylor's mother, but the two former officers who fired shots that struck Taylor were not charged. Those officers could be called to testify in this trial, according to a motion filed by Hankison's defense.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said a man, pregnant woman and child were inside that apartment when Hankison fired into it.
Hankison later pleaded not guilty to the charges, each of which carries a prison sentence of one to five years if he is convicted.
Neither Hankison nor the two other officers who fired their weapons during the March 13, 2020, raid — Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Det. Myles Cosgrove — were indicted in Taylor's death.
Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency room tech, died after was struck by one of Cosgrove's bullets, according to FBI ballistics findings released by Cameron's office.
Each wanton endangerment charge Hankison faces carries a prison sentence of one to five years.
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- Breonna Taylor case jury selection reaches end of 1st phase
- Judge won't ban media from jury questioning in Brett Hankison trial
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