Report: Breonna Taylor Jury Given No Option To Pursue Charges Beyond Wanton Endangerment

A member of the grand jury for the shooting of Breonna Taylor has said that the panel did not think the shooting was justified, and was not presented with the option to pursue charges beyond wanton endangerment for an officer that did not shoot Taylor.

Taylor was shot five times in her home in March, during a police raid looking for her ex-boyfriend. The only charges stemming from the fatal shooting of Taylor were three counts of wanton endangerment against detective Brett Hankison for firing into the house next door to the apartment. No charges were announced against Taylor’s killers.

The juror in question has not been identified publicly and spoke through their lawyer, reports NBC. The juror says the jury did not think that police were justified in breaking down Taylor’s door and initiating a shootout.

The juror also said the jury did not have the laws around homicide, self-defense, and the justification of force explained to them even when they requested.

“Questions were asked about the additional charges and the grand jury was told there would be none because the prosecutors didn’t feel they could make them stick,” a statement read. “The grand jury didn’t agree that certain actions were justified, nor did it decide the indictment should be the only charges in the Breonna Taylor case.”

Jurors can speak out after a judge ruled that the tapes should be released and those involved could speak publicly. The ruling by judge Annie O’Connell said this case was exceptional, as all parties were known and there was a public interest in knowing whether their elected officials were telling the truth.

“As applied in this case, this court finds that the traditional justifications for secrecy in this matter are no longer relevant,” O'Connell wrote. “This is a rare and extraordinary example of a case where, at the time this motion is made, the historical reasons for preserving grand jury secrecy are null.”

Daniel Cameron, the attorney general involved in the case, surprised observers by not appealing the ruling.

The shooting in question occurred on March 13, when officers broke down the door of Breonna Taylor’s house looking for her ex-boyfriend, who they suspected of selling drugs from an unrelated house.

The police did not have a no-knock warrant, but Taylor’s boyfriend Kenneth Walker says the police would not identify themselves while knocking. When they knocked down the door with a battering ram he opened fire, thinking it was a home invasion.

Police shot Ms. Taylor five times, and she died shortly after.

Taylor’s killing kicked off months of protests, which reignited after it was announced that no charges would be levied against the officers who shot her. Two police officers were shot the following night. The officer that fired the shot killing Taylor has started a crowdfunding campaign seeking $75,000 to retire early.