Trial begins for former cop involved in deadly Breonna Taylor raid nearly 2 years after her death

Updated: 12:46 PM EST Feb 23, 2022

Brett Hankison's defense attorney put it succinctly during jury selection on Tuesday."Breonna Taylor has nothing to do with the charges against Brett Hankison this morning, and yet, she has everything to do with it," said Stew Matthews, as he questioned prospective jurors.Hankison is facing three counts of wanton endangerment, but those charges are not for Taylor's death. They are for shots fired into a neighboring apartment with three people inside.Hankison was one of three Louisville officers serving a no-knock search warrant on Taylor's apartment on March 20, 2022. When they entered, Taylor's boyfriend Kenneth Walker – who says he did not know the men entering his home were police officers – fired a single shot. The officers fired back and Taylor, who was behind Walker, was hit six times, police say. The bullet that killed her was fired by Myles Cosgrove, another officer who was present that night, according to the investigation that ensued.Cosgrove is scheduled to appear as a witness in Hankison's trial. The other officer present that night, former LMPD detective Jonathan Mattingly, has said he will plead the Fifth Amendment and refuse to testify, citing the pending U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the LMPD.In all, more than 30 witnesses are slated to testify in a trial expected to last two to three weeks."The commonwealth has the burden of proof in a criminal case and we gladly accept that burden of proof," said Barbara Whaley, the special prosecutor handling the case.Opening arguments are scheduled for Wednesday morning.

A police officer in Wisconsin went above and beyond the call of duty to help out a fellow citizen, just doing his job.

In a video that has recently gained some traction online, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin police officer is seen in security camera footage walking up to the door of a home in the city last week on Feb. 10. Walking next to him is a man holding a takeout food order, looking at his phone.

Just before they arrived the man's car had broken down while he was working, delivering food, according to a post by ViralHog.

The Wisconsin police officer drove the man to the customer's home so that he could complete his order, and not have any trouble with his employer.

In the video, you hear the delivery driver ask the deputy his name, and the two shake hands as if the incident had only started moments before.

As they wait, after the doorbell rang, the driver indicates that the customer would have been alerted that the food had arrived. Then the door opens and the officer tells the customer, "you got a special food delivery, his car broke down."

The officer said, "we're here to make your food order on time," as both smiled at the customer understanding her initial confusion.

The customer reacts saying that she thought to herself, "Oh, my god there is a police officer at the door."

The officer says, "He didn't want to be late for his food delivery." He said of the delivery driver, "His car died on Oklahoma on the freeway," referring to the avenue named after the state, in Milwaukee.

TAYLOR, Mich. — An auxiliary police officer has been removed from the Taylor Police Department after posting an explicit status on Facebook following the verdict in the Derek Chauvin murder trial.

Kevin Leblanc served as an auxiliary officer — an unpaid volunteer — for 10 years in the Taylor Police Department. However, the city’s police chief confirmed that he’s been removed from the force for posting an explicit status after Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter in connection with the death of George Floyd.

Shortly after the verdict was handed down on Tuesday, Leblanc posted the words “B*** S***” to Facebook. In the comments, Leblanc wrote “F*** Floyd Appeal appeal not a fair trial.”

Taylor Police Chief John Blair confirmed that the department was notified about the Facebook post in an email from a concerned party.

“We took immediate action. It’s not appropriate,” Blair said. “A man lost his life. I neither know a police officer in public or private that supports what the former officer did to Mr. Floyd.”

Auxiliary officers in Taylor are unpaid and have no police powers. However, they represent the force during special events and are allowed to carry guns on the job.

A photo emailed to Scripps station WXYZ in Detroit shows Leblanc in uniform working an event in 2012 featuring former Detroit Pistons basketball star Isiah Thomas and along with two other police officers.

When asked if he though Leblanc’s comments were racist, Blair said he didn’t know Leblanc and did not wish to “label somebody a racist without truly knowing them.”

“I think it’s very insensitive. I think it’s very inappropriate and very unprofessional,” Blair said. “It’s not the image the city of Taylor nor the Taylor Police Department wants to convey.”

Leblanc declined an interview request and has since deleted his Facebook posts about Floyd.

This story was originally published by Jim Kiertzner on Scripps station WXYZ in Detroit.