A Kentucky judge has dismissed the remaining criminal charges against a former Louisville police detective involved in the 2020 raid that killed Breonna Taylor. The ruling on March 28, 2026, ends the state's prosecution of former detective Kelly Goodlett, who had been charged with perjury for allegedly helping falsify the search warrant affidavit used to justify the raid.
The decision by Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Annie O'Connell follows a series of legal setbacks for prosecutors in the high-profile case. In 2023, a federal jury acquitted another former officer, Brett Hankison, of civil rights charges related to the shooting. Hankison had been the only officer directly charged in connection with Taylor's death.
The March 13, 2020, raid, executed by Louisville Metro Police, resulted in the death of the 26-year-old emergency medical technician after officers forced entry into her apartment. The incident sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice.
While the criminal cases against the involved officers have concluded, the city of Louisville settled a wrongful death lawsuit with Taylor's family for $12 million in 2020 and has since implemented a series of police reforms, including a ban on 'no-knock' warrants.
