The Louisville Metro Council voted to ban the use of no-knock search warrants following the death of Breonna Taylor.
Every member of the council co-sponsored the ordinance that will prohibit law enforcement officers from receiving search warrants that allow officers to break into a home without notice. The council named the legislation, which passed unanimously Thursday evening, “Breonna’s Law.”
“No matter what your political party, people are standing together and saying that we refuse to allow the life of Breonna Taylor to be in vain,” Councilwoman Jessica Green, a Democrat, told the Appeal. “It is due to nothing but the will of the people and our community.”
A no-knock warrant was issued on the night that Taylor, a 26-year-old black emergency room technician, died nearly three months ago. Officers broke into Taylor’s apartment without notice, frightening her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who believed the officers were home intruders. Walker fired a warning shot at the officers who returned fire several times, shooting Taylor eight times.
The officers were serving out a warrant because they believed drugs were in the home. No drugs were found.
Previous versions of the ordinance would allow no-knock warrants only when there is “imminent threat of harm or death” in cases regarding murder, hostage-taking, kidnapping, terrorism, human trafficking, and sexual trafficking. The final version of the ordinance completely banned no-knock warrants. Councilman Brandon Coan said he believes Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer will sign the policy into law.
“Everybody has finally come to agree that there’s really no legitimate reason to have no-knock search warrants,” Coan said. “On balance, the risk to human life does not outweigh whatever evidentiary benefit may accrue from them.”
Taylor’s death has fueled protests that have taken place throughout the country to end police brutality and racial injustice, along with the death of George Floyd. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died on Memorial Day after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes despite his pleas for air. All four of the officers involved in Floyd’s arrest have been charged, while none of the officers involved in Taylor’s death have been charged.
