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20 Hours of Audio From Breonna Taylor Grand Jury Are Set to Be Made Public Audio From Breonna Taylor Grand Jury Is Made Public
(about 7 hours later)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A dozen grand jurors pored over evidence for two and a half days last week as they examined the killing of Breonna Taylor, an inquiry that would usually remain secret forever. LOUISVILLE, Ky. — An audio recording of the grand jury inquiry into the killing of Breonna Taylor was made public on Friday morning, a rare disclosure that could shed light on what evidence the jurors considered in the proceedings.
But an audio recording of more than 20 hours of those proceedings is expected to be made public by noon on Friday, an extraordinarily unusual move that could shed light on what evidence the jurors considered. The grand jury ultimately chose to indict one former detective with endangering Ms. Taylor’s neighbors and declined to bring charges against either of the Louisville police officers who shot her during a raid on her apartment in March. The recording, which is about 15 hours long, was filed in court by the Kentucky attorney general, Daniel Cameron, and The New York Times is in the process of reviewing the material. The move came after a grand juror filed a court motion asking for the proceedings to be made public and accusing Mr. Cameron of using the jurors to deflect blame over the decision.
The recording will be a rare window into grand jury proceedings, in which jurors can review evidence, call witnesses and determine which charges to pursue, although they do not always exercise those rights. The jurors indicted a former officer last week with endangering three of Ms. Taylor’s neighbors by firing into their home during a raid of her apartment in March, but their decision to not charge either of the officers who shot her was met with angry protests in Louisville, during which one man shot two police officers. Their examination of the evidence lasted two and a half days, Mr. Cameron said.
The expected release of the recording comes after one of the grand jurors filed a court motion this week that asked for the proceedings to be made public and accused Kentucky’s attorney general, Daniel Cameron, of using the jurors “as a shield to deflect accountability and responsibility,” even as Mr. Cameron has insisted that jurors were given “all of the evidence.” Grand jurors are given broad powers to request evidence, call witnesses and determine which charges to pursue, but they often do not exercise — and sometimes do not even know about — those rights. Prosecutors often closely guide the jurors, presenting them with certain charges and telling them about their own roles, and the review almost always remains secret.
Mr. Cameron said this week that the grand jury was told that the two white officers who shot Ms. Taylor, a Black emergency room technician, “were justified in their acts and their conduct,” but he has insisted that the jurors were free to pursue charges. Mr. Cameron has insisted that the 12 jurors were given “all of the evidence” and were free to pursue charges against the two white officers who shot Ms. Taylor, a Black emergency room technician, even though the jurors were told the officers were justified.
A judge gave Mr. Cameron until noon on Friday to release the recording after originally ordering its release earlier in the week. Mr. Cameron had asked for a longer delay to redact personal information about witnesses and other people from the recording, which he said was more than 20 hours long. A judge gave Mr. Cameron until noon on Friday to release the recording after originally ordering its release earlier in the week. Mr. Cameron had asked for a longer delay to redact personal information about witnesses and other people from the recording.
After meeting in person for two and a half days, grand jurors indicted Brett Hankison, a former detective, on three counts of “wanton endangerment” last week, saying Mr. Hankison had recklessly fired his gun during the raid after Ms. Taylor’s boyfriend — who has said he thought intruders were entering the apartment — shot an officer in the leg. Mr. Hankison’s rounds did not hit anyone, investigators have said, but some of them flew into an apartment behind Ms. Taylor’s, where a pregnant woman, her husband and their 5-year-old child were asleep, leading to the three charges. Mr. Hankison has pleaded not guilty. After meeting in person for two and a half days, grand jurors indicted Brett Hankison, a former detective, on three counts of “wanton endangerment” last week, saying Mr. Hankison had recklessly fired his gun during the raid after Ms. Taylor’s boyfriend — who has said he thought intruders were entering the apartment — shot an officer in the leg.
People swarmed the streets of Louisville and other cities after the grand jury’s decision, demanding that the two officers who shot Ms. Taylor face charges. At the height of those protests, a man shot and wounded two Louisville police officers. Mr. Hankison’s rounds did not hit anyone, investigators have said, but some of them flew into an apartment behind Ms. Taylor’s, where a pregnant woman, her husband and their 5-year-old child were asleep, leading to the three charges. Mr. Hankison has pleaded not guilty.
Will Wright reported from Louisville, and Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs from New York.Will Wright reported from Louisville, and Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs from New York.