Protest at City Hall following announcement in Breonna Taylor case

AUSTIN, Texas - A protest is being held at Austin City Hall following the latest update in the Breonna Taylor case.

On Wednesday, a Kentucky grand jury indicted one officer for shooting into neighboring apartments but did not move forward with charges against any officers for their role in Breonna Taylor’s death.

A grand jury announced that former Officer Brett Hankison was charged with three counts of wanton endangerment in connection to the police raid on the night of March 13. His bond was set at $15,000.

At a news conference, state Attorney General Daniel Cameron said Hankison and the two other officers who entered Taylor’s apartment announced themselves before entering the apartment and did not use a no-knock warrant.

Taylor, a 26-year-old Black emergency medical worker, was shot multiple times by officers on March 13. The three officers entered her home using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation in the late evening. The warrant used was connected to a suspect who did not live there, and no drugs were found inside.

The officers fired after Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired a shot that struck an officer. Walker said he didn't know police were at the door and thought it was an intruder.

200 people attend demonstration for Breonna Taylor at City Hall

The demonstration demanding justice for 26-year-old Breonna Taylor took place at Austin City Hall. 

On Monday, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer declared a state of emergency due to the potential for civil unrest, hours after police said they would restrict access in the city's downtown area. The mayor and police said they were trying to plan ahead of time to protect both demonstrators and the people who live and work there.

The case set off a national cry for “justice for Breonna Taylor,” and celebrities, athletes, activists and Taylor’s family for months have pushed Cameron to criminally charge the officers involved in the raid.

Hankison was fired from the city’s police department on June 23. A termination letter said the officer had violated procedures by showing “extreme indifference to the value of human life” when he “wantonly and blindly” shot 10 rounds of gunfire into Taylor’s apartment in March.

Hankison, Sgt. Johnathan Mattingly, Officer Myles Cosgrove and the detective who sought the warrant, Joshua Jaynes, were placed on administrative reassignment after the shooting.

Last week, the city settled a lawsuit against the three officers brought by Taylor’s mother, agreeing to pay her $12 million and enact police reforms.