Louisville police Sgt. Kyle Meany and former detectives Joshua Jaynes and Brett Hankison, who have been charged with federal crimes related to the search warrant for Breonna Taylor’s apartment, pleaded not guilty in federal court on Thursday.
Federal district court Judge Regina Edwards wrote in orders filed Friday that Jaynes, Meany and Hankison were in police custody when they appeared in court to enter their pleas via video conference.
Louisville attorney Thomas Clay is representing Jaynes in the federal case. Clay also represented the former detective during his multiple attempts to appeal his firing. In a brief phone call, Clay said he would “prefer to reserve any statements I have to make that they would go through the appropriate forum — i.e. the courtroom.”
Lawyer Brian Butler is representing Meany. Butler said he would not be commenting on this case at all. He also represented Hankison during his arraignment Thursday.
Jaynes and Meany face a total of four federal charges, including obstruction and civil rights violations. A jury trial is scheduled for Oct. 11 in Louisville.
Officials with the U.S. Department of Justice allege Jaynes and Meany knowingly presented false, misleading and incomplete information to a judge when they applied for the search warrant for Taylor’s home. Prosecutors said their falsifications led directly to Taylor’s death. The 26-year-old emergency room technician was killed during the botched, middle-of-the-night raid on her home in March of 2020, sparking racial justice protests in Louisville and beyond.
Jaynes also faces an additional felony charge for conspiring with his former partner, active LMPD detective Kelly Goodlett, to concoct a cover story to feed investigators after Taylor’s killing. Goodlett was charged “on information,” not indicted by a grand jury.
LMPD said in a statement that Chief Erika Shields on Thursday initiated the process to terminate Meany and Goodlett.
Hankison was indicted Wednesday on two civil rights violations for firing through a covered window as police raided Taylor’s apartment in the middle of the night. A jury trial is scheduled for Oct. 13.
A previous case related to Hankison’s actions that night, on state charges of wanton endangerment, ended with an acquittal in March.
Court records show the three were let out on unsecured bonds of $50,000 each, which means they will only have to pay if they don’t comply with the conditions of their release.
This story was updated. Jess Clark contributed reporting.
