As the legal office of the federal government, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has a great deal of responsibility toward the people it is expected to represent and protect. According to its mission statement, the DOJ's role is to uphold the rule of law, keep the country safe, and protect civil rights. This is to be accomplished through honesty, respect, excellence, integrity, independence, and impartiality.
Some have questioned the DOJ's adherence to this credo after Harmeet K. Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, requested on July 16, 2025, that a federal judge give a sentence of a single day for an ex-police officer convicted in a botched raid that resulted in the death of Breonna Taylor in 2020.
Why would the DOJ, which successfully prosecuted Brett Hankison for deprivation of rights under color of law nine months ago, now recommend a sentence that's not even a slap on the wrist? The answer may lie with the change in administration and the new guidelines the DOJ is reportedly operating under.
When 'Spray and Pray' Is a Bad Idea
What exactly happened during the March 13, 2020, raid of Taylor's apartment remains a mystery due to conflicting accounts. It's agreed that seven police officers, who had obtained a "knock and announce" warrant based on the mistaken belief that Taylor's ex-boyfriend had stashed drugs there, staged a raid of her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky. Taylor was in bed with her new boyfriend when the police arrived.
All seven of the officers had their body cams turned off as one pounded on the door twice. According to the officer, he then announced that he was the police and they were serving a search warrant. Taylor's boyfriend testified that after being shocked and frightened by the pounding, the pair began yelling to announce their presence. He claimed there was no intelligible verbal warning or acknowledgement from outside the apartment.
After 45 seconds of pounding and insisting they weren't getting any response, the police rammed the door in. Fearing for his life, Taylor's boyfriend opened fire as they came through.
The officers returned fire, with none being able to see a target. Hankison moved to a bedroom window and began firing blindly through blinds and a blackout curtain. Shots from one of the officers hit and killed Taylor. Others went through the walls and into an adjacent apartment housing a family with a five-year-old, but nobody there was struck.
Mistakes when serving warrants often lead to people fearing for their lives, but most don't end in death. Amid protests and accusations that the state attorney general was trying to cover up for the police, a state court failed to convict Hankison in 2022. He was then tried at the federal level by the DOJ, which had uncovered a pattern of discrimination by the Louisville police department against black people during their investigation of the shooting.
After a mistrial, a second jury convicted him of deprivation of rights under the color of law in November 2024. While nothing could bring her daughter back, Taylor's mother expressed relief that there would finally be justice for her daughter's unnecessary death.
No, Not Those Civil Rights
While brazen, seeking a one-day sentence is perhaps not that surprising. The Trump administration ordered a freeze on all new civil rights investigations and cases soon after taking office, a dramatic departure from the previous administration.
It has been a tumultuous few months at the DOJ, with many veteran officials leaving. For example, two-thirds of DOJ staff in the federal programs branch have left or announced plans to leave in the first six months of Trump's second term.
Even more have left its civil rights division, likely due to the shift away from protecting the constitutional rights of marginalized people and minority communities. For example, Dhillon announced in May that the DOJ would be backing out of policing reform agreements with certain cities.
Dhillon's recommendation states that Hankison, who was fired shortly after the incident, has already paid a "substantial" price. She suggested never being a member of law enforcement or legally possessing a firearm again was punishment enough.
If the judge agrees, Hankison will have already served his time through booking and his first court appearance. His conviction carries up to life in prison. A hearing is set for next week to determine his fate. The judge is not bound by the prosecution's recommendation, although it is generally a factor in sentencing.
Related Resources
- Justice Department Promises Increased Enforcement of Tariff Collections (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
- What To Do if Police Raid Your Home (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
- What Is a Mistrial? (FindLaw's Legalese 101)
