Louisville, KY - The highly anticipated federal civil rights trial of Brett Hankison, a former Louisville police officer charged in the death of Breonna Taylor, ended in a mistrial on Thursday. U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings made the decision after the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on the charges of civil rights violations against Hankison.

Hankison, who is white, faced accusations of using excessive force during the botched raid on Taylor's apartment in 2020. Prosecutors alleged that he fired 10 bullets that did not strike anyone. However, a state court acquitted him last year in a separate trial, where he was charged with endangering Taylor's neighbors by firing his weapon.

The mistrial now leaves it up to federal prosecutors to determine whether or not they will pursue a retrial against Hankison. A spokesperson for the Department of Justice stated that they are actively considering all available options in this case.

The killing of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black emergency medical technician, prompted widespread outrage and ignited racial justice protests across the United States and beyond. Taylor was asleep with her boyfriend when police executed a no-knock raid on her apartment, as part of a drug investigation involving her ex-boyfriend. Her boyfriend, fearing a break-in, fired a shot that injured an officer. In response, police officers fired multiple shots, ultimately killing Taylor.

While Hankison was the only officer charged in connection with Taylor's death, two other officers involved were not indicted by a Kentucky grand jury. This decision came after Kentucky's Attorney General Daniel Cameron did not recommend charges against them.

In addition to the charges against Hankison, federal prosecutors last year also brought charges against three other former Louisville officers. These charges stemmed from allegations that false information was knowingly included in an affidavit, leading to the approval of the warrant for the raid on Taylor's apartment. One of the officers, Kelly Goodlett, pleaded guilty last year, while the other two officers, Joshua Jaynes and current Sergeant Kyle Meany, are awaiting trial in federal court.

The mistrial announcement has sparked renewed calls for justice for Breonna Taylor and has reignited the conversation about police accountability and systemic racism in the United States. Proponents of police reform and racial justice are now closely watching to see if federal prosecutors will decide to retry Hankison and potentially bring charges against the other officers involved in the case.

As the nation grapples with issues of police brutality and racial inequality, the aftermath of Breonna Taylor's tragic death continues to serve as a prominent symbol for the ongoing fight for justice and reform.