Officer Involved in Breonna Taylor’s Death Accused of Sexual Assault
Louisville Metro Police Department is a Mess
(KY) – The Louisville Metro Police Department has been in the news quite a bit this year. First there was the murder of Breonna Taylor. Then we find out that officers had been molesting teens in the Explorer Scouts program and the agency destroyed the files to avoid an open records request.
Now we find out that Officer Brett Hankison, the only officer to be charged with any type of crime in the Breonna Taylor killing, is being accused of sexual assault. His former chief, Steve Conrad, along with others, are also listed in the lawsuit filed by the victim, which basically says that they didn’t act and ignored red flags.
From Protector to Sexual Predator
In 2018, Margo Borders was drinking at the Tin Roof bar when she met Officer Brett Hankison who was working as security at the bar. Hankison told Borders to stay close. This made Borders feel safe having an officer watch over her. Borders continued drinking with her friends until she was ready to leave. Hankison offered her a ride home. According to NBC News,
“Margo had no objections to a ride home from a police officer,” the lawsuit says. “She wouldn’t have to pay for an Uber and felt protected with an officer making sure she got home safely.”
But things started to change when they arrived at her home. The lawsuit states that Margo Borders was intoxicated. Hankison would have easily recognized that, probably even decided it was to his advantage. Though Borders did not invite him in, Hankison entered her apartment. What Borders remembers is that he was on her couch when she went into her bedroom to change, but the alcohol was affecting her and she laid down on the bed and fell asleep. “‘While Margo was unconscious, Hankison went into her room, stripped off his clothes and willfully, intentionally, painfully and violently sexually assaulted Margo,’ the lawsuit alleges.”
Afraid to Report a Police Officer
It’s hard enough for a sexual assault victim to report an attack, but it’s even worse when the attacker is a police officer. Women always fear that they will not be believed but when the sexual predator is a police officer, there’s the added fear of retaliation. Margo Borders didn’t report the assault until after Breonna Taylor was killed and Hankison’s picture was in the media. And she wasn’t the only one. Another woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous, reported that Hankison had assaulted her too.
Red Flags Ignored
Her attorney was able to discover that “The Louisville Metro Police Department’s Public Integrity Unit previously cleared Hankison of two unrelated accusations involving sexual misconduct.” Two other women made claims against Hankison and it was blown off. This is why policing yourself is such a problem. Officers don’t like finding other officers guilty of anything. Margo Border’s attorney, Sam Aguiar, said,
“This police department’s long-standing tolerance for sexual assault by their officers is disgusting,” Aguiar said in a statement Tuesday. “We intend to hold all who failed to ever report or investigate Brett Hankison responsible. Too many women in this community have suffered for too long.”
After finding out what happened to the files about the molestation of the teens in the Explorer Scout program, I would have to say that Mr. Aguiar is right.