By John Q. Hosedrinker 
A former Kentucky police detective, Brett Hankison, was convicted by a federal jury of using excessive force during a flawed 2020 drug raid that resulted in the death of Breonna Taylor. It marks the first conviction of an officer involved in the operation. The jury was initially deadlocked on the excessive force charge against Taylor, but chose to continue deliberations. Tamika Palmer, Taylor’s mother, commended the jurors for allocating time to understand the need for justice for her daughter. Hankison, who fired 10 shots during the raid and failed to hit anyone, faces a potential life sentence to be decided on 12 March.
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The conviction of a former Kentucky officer for using excessive force during the deadly raid on Breonna Taylor’s home feels like a small flicker of justice in an otherwise dark and complex narrative. After so much time, countless discussions, and endless speculation, this moment is bittersweet. It signals a reckoning, however limited it might be, that the lives impacted by these actions are not as disposable as some might like to believe. Breonna was asleep, innocent of any wrongdoing, and yet, her life was taken in a tragic dance of violence and systemic failure. That she was judged guilty by a jury is a reflection of a long-overdue acknowledgment of the unacceptable power dynamics at play when it comes to law enforcement and marginalized communities in America.
Excessive force feels like a euphemism when discussing the tragic outcome of that night. To call it what it is—murder—is essential for understanding the gravity of the situation. By emphasizing terms like “excessive force,” we risk diluting the conversation and losing sight of the fact that the police were executing a raid at the wrong house, on a woman who was not a suspect. The fact that another officer, charged with firing indiscriminately into her apartment, was not held accountable for her actual death speaks volumes about the systemic issues that allow such acts to go unpunished. It is unsettling to think that the repercussions of this tragedy might not effectively deter similar misconduct in the future.
Political currents undoubtedly shape the landscape of justice, and it’s sobering to see how different leadership might have resulted in a very different reality for Breonna’s case. If the appointments and decisions of leaders across the political spectrum matter significantly, it becomes a responsibility for all of us to be not just passive observers, but active participants in our democracy. The case has drawn attention to how policies are implemented and how they impact everyday lives—especially in communities already facing systemic adversity. The necessity of voting cannot be overstated. Change occurs through civic engagement, and it’s disheartening to know that there are those who believe that their lack of participation contributes to a culture of injustice.
Here lies another truth: the accountability awarded through this conviction feels tenuous. There is a temptation to take comfort in this small victory, but it is precisely crucial moments like this that should kindle a fire for more profound change. A conviction for civil rights violations must not be the end of the conversation. Exposing the flawed systems that protect individuals who misappropriate their power is urgent. If this conviction serves no other purpose than to highlight the vast chasm of accountability between law enforcement and civilians, it will have fallen short of its potential.
The officer involved may not have pulled the trigger that ended Breonna’s life, yet his actions contributed to a chaotic and dangerous situation. He fired ten shots into her home, and much like how we assess culpability in other violent interactions, one must question how such blatant recklessness can be almost normalized. The notion that a person in uniform can act without sufficient accountability is a harbinger of injustice. We need a system where those wielding significant power are held to a higher standard, one that unequivocally acknowledges the repercussions of their choices.
In a society where individual actions lead to severe consequences, it is essential that the law enforces equivalent repercussions for those who have declared themselves protectors of the public. As it stands, the balance feels skewed, favoring those who hold authority while leaving the very citizens they claim to protect vulnerable to their choices. The case of Breonna Taylor echoes far beyond her tragedy—it asks us to scrutinize a system that, too often, seems to operate on a double standard.
Today, a piece of justice has been served, yet it feels like