“This is meaningful change,” Beshear mentioned. “It will save lives, and it will move us in the right direction. I know more needs to be done. I know the fight is not over.”
Members of the Taylor household stood behind the governor throughout the invoice signing, at Louisville’s Kentucky Center for African American Heritage. Taylor’s mom, Tamika Palmer, shed tears as she accepted the pen the governor used to signal the measure.
“While it is not the complete laws that they needed when it comes to an entire ban on no-knock warrants, they’re glad that it is a begin and a win in a deeply divided General Assembly,” mentioned the household’s lawyer, Lonita Baker.
Baker added that the household seems ahead to working with lawmakers on future laws to additional limit the warrants and improve police accountability.
Under the brand new legislation, no-knock warrants should be executed between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. and officers are required to take extra steps to acquire warrants. Judges are additionally required to signal legibly when approving them and an EMT should now be close by throughout execution of the warrant.
In the Taylor case, a no-knock warrant was authorised as a part of a Louisville Metro Police Department narcotics investigation. Nonetheless, officers mentioned they did knock and announce their presence earlier than getting into Taylor’s condominium, although some witnesses have disputed that declare.
In September, a grand jury indicted one of many officers on wanton endangerment fees for taking pictures right into a neighbor’s condominium, however none was charged in reference to Taylor’s death. That was primarily based partially on the presentation of Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who really helpful no fees in opposition to the officers who shot into Taylor’s condominium.
One of these officers, Myles Cosgrove, was fired. Federal ballistics consultants mentioned they consider the shot that killed Taylor got here from Cosgrove. The police division also fired officer Joshua Jaynes, who secured the warrant.
Virginia handed a ban on all no-knock warrants final year. The warrants are additionally not permitted in Florida and Oregon.
