LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In a federal court hearing on Thursday, the Louisville police officer who breached Breonna Taylor’s front door using a battering ram described the gunfire that erupted shortly afterward as the loudest he had ever experienced. This event occurred during a police raid in 2020, which resulted in the tragic death of Taylor, a 26-year-old Black medical technician. At the time, she had just been awakened from her sleep when law enforcement arrived to serve a search warrant. Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, discharged a weapon as the door was forcefully entered by Detective Mike Nobles.
“We were in an echo chamber in there, so the shots were louder than they would usually be,” Nobles testified, recounting the harrowing moments of loud gunfire during the trial of former police officer Brett Hankison in U.S. District Court. This was the fourth day of a retrial where the prosecution accuses Hankison of recklessly firing his weapon into Taylor’s apartment, endangering her life and that of her neighbors. Tragically, it was the police gunfire that ultimately claimed Taylor’s life, while none of Hankison’s shots struck anyone.
Hankison faces charges for violating the civil rights of both Taylor and residents in neighboring apartments who were also endangered during the incident. His first trial ended in a mistrial last year, and earlier this year, a state jury found him not guilty of three counts of wanton endangerment.
During his testimony, Nobles shared that he was stationed near the entrance of Taylor’s apartment complex when the gunfire occurred. He described the exchange of shots where Walker hit Sgt. John Mattingly in the leg, prompting police to return fire with 32 shots, including 10 from Hankison, who had moved away from the doorway to another position. Nobles was recalled to testify by Hankison’s defense after the prosecution completed its case, which aimed to emphasize the risks of Hankison’s gunfire that endangered fellow officers.
Under cross-examination, Nobles acknowledged that he would not have fired into Taylor’s windows as Hankison did. This contrast to standard police training was highlighted by previous witnesses, including Louisville’s new police chief, Paul Humphrey, who affirmed that officers are trained to identify a target prior to discharging their weapons. Additionally, prosecutors presented previous testimony from Nobles in which he stated he would not have recklessly shot into Taylor’s home, remarking, “because this is not Iraq.”
The aftermath of the Taylor shooting has weighed heavily on Nobles, stating that it has severely impacted his career in law enforcement. “The dream of living out a life and getting promoted to lieutenant is gone,” he reflected. “I’m leaving the minute my 20-year retirement eligibility hits.”
Hankison is slated to take the stand on Monday. He has previously contended that his actions were a split-second decision made out of fear that fellow officers were under fire from someone in the apartment.