Four US police officers charged in Breonna Taylor death

The US Justice Department said on Thursday that it was charging four police officers over the death of Black woman Breonna Taylor in 2020.

The four officers were arrested by the FBI and are now facing federal charges including civil rights offenses, unlawful conspiracy, unconstitutional use of force and obstruction.

Her death, along with that of George Floyd, was one of the triggers for the widespread protests against racialized police brutality under the banner of Black Lives Matter.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said federal officials "share but cannot fully imagine the grief'' that Taylor's family must have gone through.

"Breonna Taylor should be alive today," he added.

What happened to Breonna Taylor?

The 26-year-old medical worker was shot to death in her home in Louisville, Kentucky, during a police raid.

The officers allegedly falsified a search warrant knowing that they did not have enough probable cause to lawfully search her home. They were investigating alleged drug trafficking at the time.

Taylor's boyfriend fired a shot that hit one of the officers as they came through the door. Three of them then returned fire, killing Taylor in the process.

Three of the suspects — Kyle Meany, Joshua Jaynes and Kelly Goodlett — are facing charges of violating Taylor's rights by falsifying the warrant.

The fourth suspect, Brett Hankison, was charged with civil rights violations for allegedly using excessive force. Hankison was dismissed in 2020 and was acquitted for charges of wanton endangerment earlier this year over shots he fired that hit a nearby apartment.

Jaynes was also fired by former Louisville Police interim chief Yvette Gentry in January 2021. He was the officer who had applied for the search warrant.

ab/nm (Reuters, AP, AFP)