4 Kentucky police officers face federal charges in Breonna Taylor killing

The U.S. Justice Department has charged four Kentucky police officers involved in the deadly raid that killed Breonna Taylorwith civil rights violations. The fatal shooting ofTaylor, a Black 26-year-old medical worker, helped fuel the racial justice protests that rocked the United States in 2020.

Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, told reportersshe has waited 874 days nearly two and a half years for police to be held accountable.

"Today's overdue, but it still hurts," she said.Lawyers for thefamily said in a statement thatthe news was "a huge step toward justice."

Taylor was shot to death on March 13, 2020, by Louisville, Ky., officers who had knocked down her door while executing a search warrant. Taylor's boyfriend fired a shot with a legally owned firearm that hit one of the officers as they came through the door and they returned fire, striking Taylor multiple times.

Federal charges allege that the affidavit used tosecurethe warrant for Taylor's residence was falsified. The officers who conducted the raid were not involved in that affidavit process, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said while announcing the charges, and were unaware of the alleged falsification.

Officerscreated'false story' about raid:Garland

Former Louisville detectiveJoshua Jaynes and current Sgt. Kyle Meany were charged withcivil rights violations and obstruction of justice for usingfalse information to obtain the search warrant,theDepartment of Justice (DOJ)said. Current Det. Kelly Goodlettwas charged with conspiring with Jaynes to falsify the warrantand then cover up the falsification.

A fourth officer, former detective Brett Hankison, wascharged with civil rights violations for allegedly usingexcessive force,Garland said.

Garland alleged that in May 2020, Jaynes and Goodlett"met in a garage, where they agreed to tell investigators a false story" concerning the deadly raid.

Meany is also accused of lying to the FBI in an interview about the incident.

Garland said federal officials "share but cannot fully imagine the grief" felt by Taylor's family.

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

Department begins process of firing 2 more officers

Louisville police on Thursday began the process of firingMeany and Goodlett, the department said in a statement. Hankisonand Jaynes were previously fired by the department.

Hankisonwas one of the officers at Taylor's door and one of three who fired shots that night.He is now accused by the Justice Department of using "constitutionally excessive force" in the raid.

Hankison, prosecutors said, moved away from the door, firing10 shots into Taylor's apartment through a window and a glassdoor that were covered byblinds and curtains.

Hankison told a Kentucky grand jury that he opened fire oncethe shooting started. As he saw flashes light up the room, hesaidhe mistakenly believed one of the occupants was firing anassault-style rifle at his colleagues.

A jury acquitted himof state charges of wanton endangerment earlier this year in Louisville. The lawyer representing Hankison in his previous trialsaid he planned to surrender to the FBI on the new charge Thursday, but that he would likely contest the charge.

Jaynes, whoapplied for the warrant to search Taylor's house, was fired in January 2021 by former Louisville Police interim chief Yvette Gentry for violating department standards in the preparation of a search warrant execution and for being "untruthful" in the Taylor warrant.

Justice Department officials said Thursday that a broader investigation into whether the Louisville Police Department engages in a so-called "pattern or practice" of violations of law is ongoing.