The president of River City Fraternal Order of Police 614, which represents Louisville Metro Police, called out Gov. Andy Beshear and Mayor Craig Greenberg for their comments about ex-LMPD detective Brett Hankison’s recommended one-day sentence from the U.S. Department of Justice.
In a July 18 statement, River City FOP 614 President John Ramsey said it was “inappropriate” for politicians to comment on the matter and place “political pressure” on the federal judge overseeing the case.
“Political pandering when people’s lives are at stake is not leadership. The rank and file members of the Louisville Metro Police who we represent condemn this type of political gamesmanship,” he said. “Our members put their lives on the line very second of every shift. They expect to be treated fairly and they deserve better.”
The statement follows an unexpected development in the case against Hankison, who fired several shots in the raid that killed Breonna Taylor in March 2020 and was convicted in November 2024 for violating her civil rights.
In a sentencing memorandum filed July 16, the DOJ recommended a one-day prison sentence — a significant step down from the maximum sentence of life in prison he faces. His sentencing is set for July 21, court records show.
Several Louisville and Kentucky politicians reacted to the news, with Beshear and Greenberg calling for Hankison to receive a fair sentence for the crime.
Former LMPD detective Brett Hankison walks towards the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Louisville, Ky. before his federal trial. Hankison is accused of depriving Breonna Taylor and others of their civil rights in the police raid that ended in Taylor’s shooting death in 2020. Oct. 15, 2024
Greenberg, who became mayor in 2023, said Hankison was “convicted of a serious crime” and his actions “warrant a serious prison sentence.”
Beshear told reporters, “I think it’s important that they are treated like anyone else who is brought up on these charges and that the DOJ should not be playing politics in any case,” NBC News reported.
In his statement, Ramsey referenced a case in which two defendants were given lax punishments after a physical altercation with two LMPD officers.
“Did they comment when two Louisville Metro Police Officers were strangled and the perpetrators were given probation in Jefferson County?” Ramsey wrote.
The River City FOP 614 and Ramsey did not respond to requests to confirm the case in question, though Louisville couple Davion Cromartie and Daria Collins were arrested in July 2023 and charged with felonies after police responded to a domestic dispute that escalated into a brawl with police.
Cromartie was accused of strangling an officer by wrapping his legs around his neck and attempting to take weapons from both of the responding officers, according to court records. Meanwhile, Collins reportedly jumped onto another officer’s back and tried to take her weapons, court records show.
Collins’ charges — third degree assault of a police officer, obstructing governmental operations and attempted disarming of a peace officer — were conditionally discharged in October 2024 after she pleaded guilty, meaning she will avoid additional punishment if she does not violate the court’s stipulations for two years.
Cromartie also took a plea deal for charges including strangulation, third degree assault of a police officer, first degree wanton endangerment, disarming a peace officer, fleeing or evading police, resisting arrest and violation of a foreign protective order, according to court records. He was placed on probation for five years in December 2024.
Contact reporter Killian Baarlaer at kbaarlaer@gannett.com or @bkillian72 on X.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: River City FOP 614 responds to politicians on Hankison sentencing memo