Breonna Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, along with Senator Rand Paul and Democratic Representative Morgan McGarvey, reintroduced their effort to ban no-knock search warrants.
According to WLKY News, The legislation will be called the ‘Justice for Breonna Taylor Act.’
Senator Paul first introduced the bill in June 2020. However, it received little support. Paul partnered with McGarvey and Democratic Senator Corey Booker of New Jersey. He hopes the project will now attract more attention and support.
RELATED: Breonna Taylor’s Boyfriend Kenneth Walker Reaches $2 Million Settlement With City of Louisville
What does Breonna’s bill say?
The two-page bill states that officers “may not execute a warrant until the officer provides notice of his or her authority or purpose,” per Mail Diary.
The bill would apply to any state and local agencies that receive funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, including federal authorities. This would cover most police departments in the United States.
Louisville and many Kentucky cities banned or restricted no-knock warrants in 2020, just months after Breonna’s death.
Breonna Taylor died in March 2020 at the hands of Louisville Metro Police officers. She was shot after they entered her house in the middle of the night without warning. They were trying to serve a search warrant at her apartment in connection with Taylor’s ex-boyfriend, for WLKY.
As previously reportedKelly Goodlett was accused of forging that search warrant and filing a false report to conceal it.
After MPD officers entered his apartment, Kenneth Walker fired one shot, assuming the police were thieves. Law enforcement has not revealed his identity. One officer, Jonathan Mattingly, was wounded in the leg. Breonna was killed after officers returned fire.
Taylor’s mother speaks out about her daughter’s murder
Breonna’s mother spoke during a press conference in Louisville, Kentucky.
“It’s been four years. It has been difficult. It continues to be difficult. But I still fight and I still make sure what happened to Breonna doesn’t happen again. And that’s really what’s important here.”
The grieving mother continued, “I know of no better way to commemorate the fourth anniversary of Breonna’s murder. I’m so grateful to have people here who continue to understand how important it is that what happened to Breonna never happens again.”
Senator Paul stated that the project was created to protect citizens and police officers.
“There is a better way to do things,” Senator Paul said. “I do this not just because I care about the people behind the door. I also care about the police… (and) I think it’s a very dangerous risk for the police to take. And, you know, there are a lot of better ways to arrest people that don’t involve breaking in in the middle of the night.”
Democratic Rep. McGarvey expressed his sympathy for the pain Taylor’s mother has suffered since the tragedy.
He stated, “It’s hard for me now to be here with Tamika Palmer, with Breonna Taylor’s mother, who has endured pain that, although many of us share, we cannot understand.”
None of the MPD officers who fired their firearms during the incident were convicted of Breonna’s murder.
RELATED: Breonna Taylor’s mother says it took several hours before she learned of her death and that the police did not inform her that they were the ones who killed her