Breonna Taylor’s Death May End “No-Knock” Warrants Used in Drug Raids

“No-knock” drug search warrants, which allow officers to enter a residence unannounced, are under increasing scrutiny following the death of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old woman in Louisville, Kentucky. Taylor was fatally shot in her home by police executing a no-knock warrant.

No-knock warrants have long been criticized for leading to injuries and deaths, PBS NewsHour reports. The warrants have become one of the issues fueling nationwide protests over policing. Last week, the Louisville City Council voted to ban no-knock warrants.

Last week, Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky introduced legislation that would prohibit police officers from using no-knock warrants, USA Today reports. The proposed Justice in Policing Act introduced by congressional Democrats also would ban such warrants.

The warrants are meant to help police disrupt criminal activity without giving perpetrators time to react by using force against an officer, getting rid of evidence or evading arrest, according to Walter Signorelli, who served in the narcotics division of the New York City Police Department.