In a significant development, a federal judge has dismissed felony charges against two former Louisville Metro Police Department detectives involved in the deadly raid on Breonna Taylor's home. The judge ruled on Thursday that the alleged facts did not fit the felony offenses as written, resulting in the charges being dropped. However, motions to dismiss other charges were denied.

Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency room technician, tragically lost her life during a flawed forced-entry raid on March 13, 2020. The raid, carried out by the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department, resulted in Taylor being shot and killed in her own apartment. This incident added her name to the growing list of Black women who have been killed by law enforcement officers in their own homes in recent years.

The charges against Louisville detective Joshua Jaynes and Sgt. Kyle Meany stemmed from their involvement in preparing a false affidavit to obtain a search warrant for Taylor's home. According to court documents, they then collaborated to create a "false cover story" in an attempt to avoid accountability for their roles in the incident. These charges carried a maximum sentence of life in prison.

However, US District Court Judge Charles Simpson ruled that the legal cause of Taylor's death was her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, firing his gun when officers burst into their home. The judge stated that there was no direct link between the warrantless entry and Taylor's death, shifting the responsibility onto Walker's actions. Following Walker's shot, the police returned fire, resulting in Taylor being struck multiple times.

"We are pleased by the Court's ruling," commented Brian Butler, attorney for Sgt. Kyle Meany, in an email to CNN. The judge dropped the felony charges against both defendants, stating that the alleged facts did not align with the specific felony offenses. The court held that Taylor's death was influenced by the flawed execution of the warrant.

The charges against the former officers for using a dangerous weapon to deprive Taylor of her Fourth Amendment rights were also altered by the judge. With the removal of the "use of a dangerous weapon" language, this charge is now a misdemeanor punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment for up to one year.

The Department of Justice is currently reviewing the judge's decision and considering next steps. CNN has reached out for comments from the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department, Taylor's family's attorney, and Jaynes' attorney.

This ruling comes amidst a nationwide movement for police reform in response to the deaths of Black individuals at the hands of law enforcement officers. Breonna Taylor's tragic death, along with that of George Floyd and others, sparked widespread protests in the summer of 2020.

It is worth noting that former detective Brett Hankison, also charged in connection with Taylor's death, will face a new civil rights trial in October after a previous trial ended in a deadlock. Another ex-detective, Kelly Hannah Goodlett, pleaded guilty in 2022 to conspiring to falsify an affidavit for a search warrant in Taylor's case.

As the justice system continues to grapple with the implications of Taylor's death, the impact of this ruling on prosecuting those involved in her tragic killing remains to be seen.