‘Breonna’s Law’: Louisville bans ‘no-knock search warrants’ after police killed black woman during night raid on her home

The city of Louisville, Kentucky has banned police from invading homes without announcing their presence. This tactic prompted protests after plainclothes officers killed a black woman while raiding her apartment.

‘No-knock search warrants’ are used in operations like drug busts, when officers want to prevent suspects from quickly destroying a stash of drugs or other evidence.

Three plainclothes narcotics detectives had this type of warrant when they arrived in the middle of the night at the apartment of a young black paramedic, Breonna Taylor, in March. According to police, they were investigating a drug dealer who was using Taylor’s address to receive packages the officers believed could contain drugs.

Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who was at home with her during the raid, took his gun and fired at the officer after mistaking him for a robber, according to his lawyer. The officers returned fire and fatally shot Taylor. No drugs were found at her apartment.

Walker was initially charged with attempted murder of an officer, but the charge was later dropped, while three officers involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave during an investigation.

Taylor’s case, along with the death of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, at the hands of police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, sparked Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality across the US and led to anti-racism demonstrations overseas.

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