LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear signed a partial ban on knock-off orders Friday after months of demonstrations caused by the deadly shooting of Breonna Taylor in her home during a botched police raid last year.
The law signed by the Democratic Governor is not the outright ban sought by many protesters and some Democratic lawmakers – a proposal introduced as “Breonna’s Law” – but it also does not prevent individual cities and towns from issuing warrants for arrest. ban completely.
The measure gained bipartisan support in the legislature, with Republicans holding veto-power super-majority in the House and Senate. The law allows no-knock injunctions only if there is “clear and convincing evidence” that the crime under investigation would “qualify a person, if convicted, as a violent offender.”
Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician in Louisville who is studying to become a nurse, was shot several times in March 2020 after being woken from her bed by police. No drugs were found and the warrant was later found flawed.
“This is a meaningful change,” said Beshear. “It will save lives, and it will move us in the right direction. I know there is more to be done. I know the fight isn’t over yet. “
Members of the Taylor family stood behind the governor during the signing of the bill, at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage in Louisville. Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, cried when she accepted the pen the governor used to sign the measure.
“While it is not the full legislation they wanted in terms of a complete ban on warrants, they are convinced that this is a start and a victory in a deeply divided General Assembly,” said the family’s attorney, Lonita Baker.
Baker added that the family looks forward to working with lawmakers on future legislation to further restrict the warrants and increase police accountability.
“Breonna’s law” would have banned all no-knock orders, penalties for officers who misuse body cameras, and mandate drug and alcohol testing of officers involved in “fatal incidents.”
Under the law that was passed, warrants must be executed between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. and officers are required to take additional steps to obtain warrants. Judges must also sign legibly when approving and an EMT must now be nearby during the execution of the warrant.
In the Taylor case, a no-knock warrant was approved as part of a narcotics investigation by the Louisville Metro Police Department. Nonetheless, agents said they knocked and announced their presence before entering Taylor’s apartment, although some witnesses have disputed that claim.
In September, a grand jury indicted one of the officers on the charge of willful danger for shooting in a neighbor’s apartment, but none were charged in connection with Taylor’s death. That was based in part on the presentation of Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who did not recommend charges against the officers who fired into Taylor’s apartment.
One of those officers, Myles Cosgrove, was fired. Federal ballistic experts said they believe the shot that killed Taylor came from Cosgrove. The police also fired officer Joshua Jaynes, who was given the command.
Virginia issued a ban on all no-knock warrants last year. The warrants are also not allowed in Florida and Oregon.
Hudspeth Blackburn is a corps member of the Associated Press / Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a national nonprofit service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on hidden issues.