The Department of Justice has asked a federal judge to sentence former Kentucky police officer Brett Hankison to one day in prison after his conviction for his role in the 2020 botched raid that killed Breonna Taylor in her home.

Blavity reported that a federal jury convicted Hankison, one of four officers to face charges in Taylor’s death, and the first convicted for his involvement in the raid. He was found guilty on one count of violating Taylor’s civil rights by using excessive force, firing 10 shots into Taylor’s home, with some striking a next-door neighbor’s house.

At the time, Hankison told the court he fired to protect himself and other officers after Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, shot at them when they entered the apartment. As officers returned fire, several bullets struck Taylor, killing her.

Hankison faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a judge will weigh in on the DOJ’s request at a scheduled sentencing next week, according to The New York Times.

DOJ official explains request in new filing

On Wednesday, Harmeet K. Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, asked the judge in the case to sentence Hankison to one day in prison and three years of supervised release.

In the request, Dhillon argued that the prosecution was excessive, pointing out that the Biden administration had convicted Hankison after he was acquitted on state charges and following a mistrial in his first federal case.

“In this case, two federal trials were ultimately necessary to obtain a unanimous verdict of guilt,” Dhillon wrote, noting that after being fired from his job, Hankison had already paid for his actions, per The New York Times.

“The jury’s verdict will almost certainly ensure that defendant Hankison never serves as a law enforcement officer again and will also likely ensure that he never legally possesses a firearm again,” the filing added.

Attorneys for Taylor’s family speak out

In addition to Hankison, former detectives Joshua Jaynes, Kelly Hanna Goodlett, and former Sgt. Kyle Meany was initially arrested and charged in the raid. Last year, the felony charges against Jaynes and Meany were dropped by a federal judge in the case, Blavity and ABC 11 reported.

Meanwhile, Hankison was fired from the Louisville Metro Police Department in June 2020.

According to the BBC, attorneys for Taylor’s family spoke out following the DOJ’s filing, calling it “an insult to the life of Breonna Taylor.”

“Every American who believes in equal justice under the law should be outraged,” attorneys said in a statement. “Recommending just one day in prison sends the unmistakable message that white officers can violate the civil rights of Black Americans with near-total impunity.”

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