Breonna Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, Senator Rand Paul, and Democratic representative Morgan McGarvey reintroduced their effort to ban no-knock search warrants. The bill is named the “Justice for Breonna Taylor Act.” “It’s been four years,” said Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, during a press conference in Louisville. “It’s been hard.”
“It continues to be hard,” he noted. “But I still fight, and I still make sure that what happened to Taylor doesn’t happen again.” She added, “And that’s really what’s important here.” According to reports, the bill would apply to federal law enforcement.
Also, it would apply to state and local agencies that receive funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, which the sponsors said includes most police departments in the country. Notably, Breonna Taylor died on March 13, 2020, while police served a no-knock search warrant on her Louisville apartment.
According to reports, the warrant was in connection with an ex-boyfriend who was being investigated for drug dealing.
How the Officers Broke Into the Apartment
Authorities entered the apartment late at night, and Taylor’s then-boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired a shot at them. Walker later claimed he fired at them because he thought they were burglars. Also, he said they didn’t knock or announce they were police officers.
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Walker’s shot reportedly hit an officer, Jonathan Mattingly, in the leg, and the officers returned fire, killing Taylor. The tragic death of Breonna Taylor, amongst other unjustified killings, prompted a nationwide protest, fueling the BLM movement.
What Did Breonna Taylor’s Mother Say?
Breonna Taylor’s mother spoke about the tragic incident during a press conference in Louisville, Kentucky. “It’s been four years. It’s been hard,” she said. “It continues to be hard.” The grieving mother continued, “I don’t know a better way to monumentalize coming up on the fourth year of Breonna’s murder.”
“I’m so grateful to have people in the room,” she added. “Who continue to understand how important it is that what happened to Breonna never happens again.”
Senator Rand Paul’s Contribution
While speaking at the conference, Sen. Paul said the bill was created to protect citizens and police officers. “There’s a better way of doing things,” he said. “I do this not only because I care about people behind the door.”
“I care about the police, and I think it’s a hazardous risk for them to take,” he added. “I think it’s a very dangerous risk for police to take, and there’s a lot of better ways to arrest people that don’t involve going in the middle of the night.”
The Aim of the No-Knock Warrant Ban
Democratic Representative McGarvey expressed his sympathy for Palmer’s pain since the tragedy. “It’s hard for me right now standing here with Tamika Palmer and Breonna Taylor’s mom,” he said. “Who endured a pain that, while many of us share, cannot fathom.”
McGarvey said numerous mistakes and injustices happened before police even entered Taylor’s apartment. However, he noted that not banning no-knock warrants is part of the problem. Under the warrant, police can enter a residence at any time of the day or night and do not need to announce themselves as police or otherwise.
Sen. Paul introduced the bill banning the warrant in June 2020 but failed to get any traction. He said he hopes partnering with McGarvey and another Democrat, Sen. Corey Booker of New Jersey, will increase the bill’s chances for success.
Further Efforts To Ban the No-Knock Warrant
The Louisville Metro Council and Kentucky state legislature have passed similar legislation. Rep. Keturah Herron, D-Louisville, and Amber Duke, executive director of the ALCU-KY, also appeared at the press conference.
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“No-knock warrants have been banned in Louisville and Lexington and severely restricted in the Commonwealth of Kentucky following Breonna Taylor’s death,” Duke said in a statement.
“After working on this issue locally and statewide,” he added. “The ACLU of Kentucky proudly supports this federal effort to limit these legalized home invasions that put lives at risk on either side of a door.”
Breonna Taylor’s Mother Speaks About Her Daughter’s Dream
Speaking at the conference, Breonna Taylor’s mother revealed her dream was to save lives, and this proposed legislation would do just that. “We applaud Congressman McGarvey and the bill’s co-sponsors for taking this bold step toward healing and justice,” Palmer said.
“She wanted to live; She wanted a family,” McGarvey noted. “A no-knock warrant took all of that away from her. With this legislation, we can at least honor her first wish.”
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