How the 'no-knock' warrant for Breonna Taylor's apartment differed from others
Louisville police rarely obtain no-knock search warrants and even among that group, the warrant police had for Breonna Taylor's apartment stands out.
www.courier-journal.com
Louisville Metro Police officers who sought "no-knock" search warrants the last two years most often said they needed them for suspects in homicides or who have a "propensity for violence," a Courier Journal review shows.
That's in stark contrast to the reason mentioned for the no-knock warrant obtained for Breonna Taylor's home in March.
Taylor had no record of violence — in fact, she had no criminal record at all. And police have said they didn't believe she had a gun when they entered her home shortly before 1 a.m. March 13.
Detective Joshua Jaynes told a judge police needed a search warrant with a no-knock provision for Taylor's apartment, which allows detectives to break down someone's door without first giving them time to respond.
The reason? They were afraid evidence might be destroyed without it, Jaynes said.
Policing experts say there's a good reason no-knocks are rarely used.
Related: Louisville police's 'no-knock' warrants most often targeted Black residents in the West End
www.npr.org
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