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DOJ Charges Officers in Death of Breonna Taylor

NNPA NEWSWIRE — U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that members of an investigative unit within the Louisville Metro Police Department had included false information in an affidavit that was then used to obtain a warrant to search Taylor’s home.

Published

3 years ago

August 5, 2022

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By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Say her name.

Breonna Taylor’s family may finally get justice after the Department of Justice charged four current and former police officers in Louisville, Kentucky, who were involved in the fatal March 2020 raid on her apartment.

The DOJ accused the officers of lying to obtain a warrant that was used to search her home when they knocked her door down and opened fire.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that members of an investigative unit within the Louisville Metro Police Department had included false information in an affidavit that was then used to obtain a warrant to search Taylor’s home.

He told reporters at a hastily called news conference that prosecutors believed the officers “violated federal civil rights laws, and that those violations resulted in Taylor’s death.”

Three of the officers also misled investigators who began looking into Taylor’s death, Garland said, including two that he said had met in a garage in the spring of 2020 and “agreed to tell investigators a false story.”

“On March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor should have awakened in her home as usual, but tragically she did not,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke.

“Since the founding of our nation, the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution has guaranteed that all people have a right to be secure in their homes, free from false warrants, unreasonable searches, and the use of unjustifiable and excessive force by the police.

“These indictments reflect the Justice Department’s commitment to preserving the integrity of the criminal justice system and to protecting the constitutional rights of every American.”

According to a DOJ release, the first indictment charges former Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) Detective Joshua Jaynes, 40, and current LMPD Sergeant Kyle Meany, 35, with federal civil rights and obstruction offenses for their roles in preparing and approving a false search warrant affidavit that resulted in Taylor’s death.

The second indictment charges former LMPD Detective Brett Hankison, 46, with civil rights offenses for firing his service weapon into Taylor’s apartment through a covered window and covered glass door.

The third charging document — and information filed by the Department of Justice — charges LMPD Detective Kelly Goodlett with conspiring with Jaynes to falsify the search warrant for Taylor’s home and to cover up their actions afterward.

The first indictment — charging Jaynes and Meany in connection with the allegedly false warrant — contains four counts. Count One charges that Jaynes and Meany, while acting in their official capacities as officers, willfully deprived Taylor of her constitutional rights by drafting and approving a false affidavit to obtain a search warrant for Taylor’s home.

The indictment alleges that Jaynes and Meany knew that the affidavit contained false and misleading statements, omitted material facts, relied on stale information, and was not supported by probable cause.

The indictment also alleges that Jaynes and Meany knew that the execution of the search warrant would be carried out by armed LMPD officers and could create a dangerous situation both for those officers and for anyone who happened to be in Taylor’s home.

A mural in Minneapolis, Minnesota depicting three Black Americans who were killed by police officers in 2020: George Floyd, Tony McDade, and Breonna Taylor. This mural was painted by Leslie Barlow as part of the Creatives After Curfew program organized by Leslie Barlow, Studio 400, and Public Functionary.

According to the charges, the officers tasked with executing the warrant were not involved in drafting the warrant affidavit and were not aware that it was false. This count alleges that the offense resulted in Taylor’s death.

Count Two charges Jaynes with conspiracy, for agreeing with another detective to cover up the false warrant affidavit after Taylor’s death by drafting a false investigative letter and making false statements to criminal investigators.

Count Three charges Jaynes with falsifying a report with the intent to impede a criminal investigation into Taylor’s death. Count Four charges Meany with making a false statement to federal investigators.

The second indictment —against Hankison — includes two civil rights charges alleging that Hankison willfully used unconstitutionally excessive force, while acting in his official capacity as an officer, when he fired his service weapon into Taylor’s apartment through a covered window and covered glass door.

Count One charges him with depriving Taylor and a person staying with Taylor in her apartment of their constitutional rights by firing shots through a bedroom window that was covered with blinds and a blackout curtain.

Count Two charges Hankison with depriving three of Taylor’s neighbors of their constitutional rights by firing shots through a sliding glass door that was covered with blinds and a curtain; the indictment alleges that several of Hankison’s bullets traveled through the wall of Taylor’s home and into the apartment unit occupied by her neighbors.

Both counts allege that Hankison used a dangerous weapon, and that his conduct involved an attempt to kill.

BLACK LIVES MATTER Art on Wrought Iron Gates at Lafayette Park along H Street between Madison Place and Jackson Place, NW, Washington, DC on Wednesday afternoon, 4 November 2020 by Elvert Barnes Photography

The information charging Goodlett with conspiracy contains one count. It charges Goodlett with conspiring with Jaynes to falsify the warrant affidavit for Taylor’s home, and file a false report to cover up the false affidavit.

All of the civil rights charges involve alleged violations of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242, which makes it a crime for an official acting under color of law — meaning an official who is using or abusing authority given to that person by the government — to willfully violate a person’s constitutional rights.

A violation of this statute carries a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment where the violation results in death or involves an attempt to kill.

The obstruction counts charged in the indictments carry a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years; and the conspiracy counts carry a statutory maximum sentence of five years, as does the false-statements charge. Actual sentences, in case of conviction, are determined by a judge.

The charges announced today are separate from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division’s pattern or practice investigation into Louisville Metro Government and the Louisville Metro Police Department, which Attorney General Garland announced on April 26, 2021, the DOJ news release stated.

The charges are criminal against individual officers, while the ongoing pattern or practice investigation is a civil investigation that is examining allegations of systemic violations of the Constitution and federal law by LMPD and Louisville Metro, the DOJ noted.

The civil pattern or practice investigation is being handled independently from the criminal case by a different team of career staff.

Further, the charges are also separate from the charges previously filed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky against Hankison related to the shooting at Taylor’s home.

The federal charges allege violations of the U.S. Constitution, rather than of state law.

“They also allege excessive use of force with respect to Taylor and a person staying in her apartment; violations not included in the Commonwealth’s case,” DOJ officials wrote in the news release.

Black Lives Matter street signs in Faixfax, California — “Say Their Names”: Aaron Ballard Aiyanna Stanley Alan Blueford Alfred Olango Alfred Toe Alonzo Smith Alton Sterling Alvin Haynes Amadou Diallo Andew Mike Andrew Depiza Angel Ramos Anthony Ashford Anthony Eddinton Antwun Shumpert Arthur Williams Jr Ashford Dominic Ashtian Barnes Austin Howard Bernard Moore Bettie Jones Brandon Coles Breonna Taylor Brian Pickett Burt Johnson Calvin Reid Cameron Glover Carnell Snell Jr Christoher Shakleford Christopher Kimble Christopher Nelms Colby Friday Cornelius Brown Dahir Adan Darius Wimberly Darrell Gatewood Dayten Harper Deborah Danner Delrawn Small Demarius Moore Demarius Semer Demetrius Dorsey Demouriah Hogg Deontre Dorsey Deravis Rogers Deriante Miller Deric Brown Devon Martes Devonte Gates Donte Jones Dontrell Carter Douglas Rainey Dujuan Armstrong Earl Eubanks Edson Thevenin Eric Garner Ernest Fell Ernesto Duenez Felix Kumi Junior Ferguson Laurent Frank Clark Frank Smart Freddie Blue Gary King Gaving Long George Floyd Gerald Hall Gregario Mack Gregory Frazier Guadalupe Ochoa Hutchinson India Kager Jacai Colson Jamar Clark Jamarion Robinson James Carney III James Rich Jr James Rivera Jr Jaqwan Terry Jason Stringer Jawari Porter Jeffrey Tyson Jeremy Lett Jerome Damon Jerome Harmon Jessica Williams John Williams Jonathan Sanders Jones Elanor Bumpers Jorevis Scruggs Joseph Mann Joshua Beal Joshua Brooks Kathryn Johnson Kayla Moore Keith Childress Keith McLeud Keith Scott Kendra James Kenneth Chamberlain Sr Kenney Watkins Kevin Garrett Kevin Hicks Kevin Matthews Kimani Johnson Korryn Gaines Kris Jackson Lamar Harris Lavante Biggs Lavar Douglas Layfette Evans Leroy Browning Leslie Sapp Loreal Tsinge Luis Gongora Marcellus Toney Mario Romero Mario Woods Markell BIvens Marshall Anthony Matthew Wood Jr Michael Brown Michael Johnson Michael Lee Michael Noel Michael Wilson Michelle Shirley Miles Daivs Miriam Carey Najier Salaam Natasha McKenna Nate Greer Nathaniel Pickett Nicholas Glen Norman Gary Ollie Brooks Orville Edwards Oscar Grant Osee Calix Pamela Turner Pat Laronda Paterson Brown Paul O’Neal Pedie Perez Philando Castille Pierre Jhoury Prosper Wayne Wheeler Raheem Singletary Rekia Boyd Renee Davis Richard Perkins Richard Risher Jr Rodney Smith Rodney Watts Ronnell Foster Sadiq Idris Sahleem Tindle Sandra Bland Sharesse Francis Spencer McCain Stephon Clark Sweatt Sylville Smith Syville Smith Talif Scudder Tamir Rice Terance Crutcher Terrance Moxley Terrance Thomas Jr Terrell Walker Terry Frost Terry Price Thomas Allen Jr Thurmond Reynolds Tiano Meton Tiara Thomas Tony Robinson Torrey Robinson Tyler Gebhard Tyre King Tyree Crawford Victo Larosa Willie McCoy Willie Tillman Yuvette Henderson Zamiel Crawford
…. and many more.

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Harriet Tubman Scrubbed; DEI Dismantled

A photograph of Harriet Tubman has been removed from a National Park Service webpage about the Underground Railroad.

Published

1 week ago

April 7, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Senior National Correspondent

A photograph of Harriet Tubman has been removed from a National Park Service webpage about the Underground Railroad. Previously, the page opened with a photo of Tubman and a description that acknowledged slavery and the efforts of enslaved African Americans to escape bondage. That language is now gone. In its place are images of postage stamps and a reworded introduction that refers to the Underground Railroad as “one of the most significant expressions of the American civil rights movement” that “bridged the divides of race.” The updated version does not mention slavery. The change follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump last month directing the Smithsonian Institution to eliminate “divisive narratives.” A review by The Washington Post found that since Trump’s return to office, dozens of webpages across the National Park Service have been edited to soften or eliminate references to slavery, racial injustice, and the historical struggles of African Americans.

On the website for the Stone National Historic Site in Maryland, mentions of Declaration of Independence signer Thomas Stone owning enslaved people were removed. Elsewhere, references to “enslaved African Americans” were changed to “enslaved workers.” A page exploring Benjamin Franklin’s views on slavery and his slave ownership was taken offline. The Defense Department also removed several webpages related to diversity and minority contributions to the U.S. military, including a tribute to Jackie Robinson’s Army service and content honoring the Tuskegee Airmen, the Navajo Code Talkers, and the Marines at Iwo Jima. Officials later said some content would be republished after public outcry. Nearly 400 books were removed from the library at the U.S. Naval Academy. The list includes Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Memorializing the Holocaust, Half American, and Pursuing Trayvon Martin. Officials cited Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s directive to eliminate books that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Private companies contracting with the federal government have begun rolling back language diversity and initiatives in response to federal pressure. UnitedHealth Group removed DEI language from its website. Goldman Sachs dropped its diversity requirement for companies it takes public and revised annual filings to reflect “developments in the law.” Bank of America replaced the term “diversity” with “talent” and “opportunity.” Deloitte instructed U.S.-based employees working with federal clients to remove pronouns from email signatures. Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Disney, Paramount, JPMorgan Chase, Victoria’s Secret, and others have renamed or eliminated DEI programs. Some, like Paramount, cited the need to comply with Trump’s executive orders.

Target has faced financial and reputational fallout following its reversal of DEI commitments. The company has lost over $12.4 billion in revenue and faces multiple lawsuits related to its shifting policies. Rev. Jamal Bryant launched a national “Target Fast,” urging community mobilization. Separately, the NAACP and the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) initiated public education and selective buying campaigns to increase pressure on the retail giant.

“Black consumers helped build Target into a retail giant, and now they are making their voices heard,” said Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., president and CEO of the NNPA. “If corporations believe they can roll back diversity commitments without consequence, they are mistaken.”

Stacy M. Brown

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What Parents Think about Childcare Right Now

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Children’s earliest years are a critical period when the foundation is built for lifelong physical health and emotional well-being

Published

1 week ago

April 7, 2025

Oakland Post

By: RAPID, Stanford Center on Early Childhood

The RAPID Survey Project, based in the Stanford Center on Early Childhood, is a program of ongoing national and place-based surveys designed to gather essential information on the needs, health-promoting behaviors, and well-being of young children and their caregivers. Our objective is to make timely and actionable data on the experiences of parents, caregivers, and young children available in an ongoing manner to support parent- and data-informed decision-making. Children’s earliest years are a critical period when the foundation is built for lifelong physical health and emotional well-being. Research shows that consistent, responsive caregiving is conducive to healthy development during these early years. We asked parents of infants and toddlers (birth to age 3) to tell us about their childcare experiences and preferences. Using responses from parents of infants or toddlers who participated in national RAPID household surveys in January 2024 and November 2024, we aim to understand the types of childcare that families with infants and toddlers use and what is most important to parents when selecting child care.

Family, friends, and neighbor (FFN) care is the most common childcare choice for families with infants and toddlers.

We asked parents of infants and toddlers questions about how much childcare they use, as well as their experiences using center-based care, home-based care, and both paid and unpaid family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) care. More than two in three (68%) parents of infants and toddlers use childcare for five hours or more per week. Among these families, and consistent with other national data, FFN care makes up the largest share of providers of infants and toddlers.

Responses from the survey show that, on a weekly basis:

—32% of parents use center-based care

—26% of parents use unpaid FFN care

—13% of parents use paid FFN care

—12% of parents use home-based care in the childcare provider’s residence

“Sometimes it is difficult to find relatives/friends who I trust and are available as sometimes their plans change.” Parent in Wisconsin

“I’m relying on family and things arise that make them unable to help. I have looked into center-based care and considered going back to work, but it will cost me more for childcare than I can make in income to pay for it.” Parent in Ohio

“I use babysitters, mostly teenagers, so their schedules are sometimes unreliable. They do their best, but they have other commitments, too. They also can’t always work during the day, which is when I need them.” Parent in Texas

Reliable access to childcare is a particular concern for many parents of infants and toddlers.

The predictable schedules and routines that are associated with stable access to childcare support the positive well-being and development of children, families, and caregivers. In their responses to open-ended questions, parents of infants and toddlers spoke about the different challenges they experience securing childcare, including issues with affordability, hours, location, and trust in their provider. As indicated by the quotes in this fact sheet, parents mentioned concerns about providers meeting the specific and intensive caregiving needs of infants and toddlers, while at the same time families navigate high costs, low availability, and inconsistent schedules. Additionally, many parents, particularly those living in rural areas, noted the limited childcare options near their home or work. This points to the barriers to reliable childcare access that families with infants and toddlers face, and these data can inform policies and programs that support families in meeting this critical need.

“In a rural area, childcare is very hard to find, and rates are not competitive because they don’t have to be.” Parent in Montana

“I had challenges finding other part-time care closer to where we live so I drive one hour twice a week for part-time care.” Parent in Louisiana

“We had to contact this provider very early on. I was maybe five or six weeks pregnant. And she happened to have a spot. If we had waited much longer, we wouldn’t have gotten in.” Parent in South Carolina

“I am currently using backup care days offered by my employer as our primary form of childcare for our younger child. In March, I will run out of days to use, and we are struggling to find an affordable option nearby that has availability when we need it.” Parent in Virginia

Trust in their childcare provider is the most important thing to families with infants and toddlers.

To understand families’ childcare needs, we asked parents what factor matters the most when selecting childcare for their infants and toddlers. We provided a list of factors to choose from for each type of childcare used. Across all types of childcare, parents of infants and toddlers are most likely to say that trust and/or comfortability with their provider is the top factor when they select child care for their family. Parents are significantly more likely to endorse trust and/or comfortability with their provider than any other factor, including affordability, availability, location, or the hours the provider is available.

Factors for selecting childcare, in order of frequency endorsed by parents of infants and toddlers:

Trust and/or comfortability
Affordability
Availability
Location
Hours

“Finding a trustworthy and experienced caregiver who could handle our infant’s specific needs was a major concern.” Parent in New York

“Ensuring the caregiver has the necessary experience and qualifications to care for an infant adds another layer of difficulty.” Parent in Iowa

Predictable and nurturing caregiving contributes to positive early childhood development, and more work is needed to support families with infants and toddlers looking for childcare. RAPID data show that there is an unmet need among families with infants and toddlers for reliable, affordable, and trusted sources of childcare and that families are using a patchwork of childcare arrangements to find trusted sources of care for their infants and toddlers that they can afford and rely on. Parents themselves are experts in selecting the sources and settings of childcare that will best support their family and foster their child’s development, and they are placing an emphasis on selecting providers that their family trusts and feels comfortable with. These findings can inform policies and programs that address parents’ childcare concerns and experiences, so they are better supported in providing the healthy, responsive caregiving that is essential to their young children’s development.

Oakland Post

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Trump Profits, Black America Pays the Price

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Over the weekend, while 401(k)s crumbled and mass layoffs loomed, Trump was the main attraction at two lavish, money-making events

Published

1 week ago

April 7, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Senior National Correspondent

As financial pain spreads across the nation, Black families are facing some of the harshest blows — while Donald Trump and his family throw parties, rake in cash, and dismantle protections built to ensure essential equity. Over the weekend, while 401(k)s crumbled and mass layoffs loomed, Trump was the main attraction at two lavish, money-making events: a Saudi-backed LIV Golf tournament at his Trump Doral resort and a seven-figure fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. This all unfolded just days after Trump signed off on sweeping global tariffs — with a Sharpie now sold at his resort gift shop for $3 — sparking one of the largest market crashes in U.S. history. In just 48 hours, the S&P 500 lost $5 trillion in value. By Monday, stocks were in free fall. Analysts warned of inflation spikes that would hit everything from gas to groceries — and disproportionately impact low- and middle-income households.

But for Trump, it was business booming. Every room, including the $13,000-a-night suite, was sold out at Doral. Guests shelled out up to $1,400 for exclusive access, snapped up $550 Trump purses and $18 imported souvenirs, and dined on $130 steaks while posing for photos with Trump family members. “This is the perfect venue,” Eric Trump declared as his father bounced between luxury properties. That same day, the former president posted from his golf club: “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO GET RICH, RICHER THAN EVER BEFORE.” For Black Americans — who already face the steepest hurdles in the economy — the timing is more than just offensive. It’s dangerous. As the markets tank and federal agencies brace for disruption, Trump is also waging war on racial equity. He’s issued orders wiping out diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts across the federal government. That includes dismantling Executive Order 11246 — a cornerstone civil rights protection that, since 1965, has barred discriminatory practices by federal contractors.

Roughly 18% of the federal workforce is Black. Many of those workers are now in limbo, with DEI staffers placed on forced leave and entire programs frozen. Experts warn these rollbacks could erase decades of progress in hiring, retention, and advancement — not just in government, but in every sector that follows federal precedent. Trump has also threatened clean air and water protections for historically neglected Black neighborhoods and proposed privatizing the U.S. Postal Service — one of the largest employers of African Americans. As working families watch their savings disappear, their job security vanishes, and their communities come under attack, Trump and his donors raise glasses over filet mignon and $1 million checks. The disparity isn’t just stark — it’s systemic. And it’s being monetized in real-time. From his Palm Beach resort, as the country buckles under the weight of his policies, Trump made his position clear:

“THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO GET RICH.”