DOJ Says Louisville Police Violate Civil Rights and Racially Discriminate
AllSides Summary
A report from the Department of Justice concluded the Louisville Metro Police Department engages in civil rights violations and racial discrimination.
Key Quotes: The report concludes the Louisville Metro Police Department uses “excessive force,” “conducts searches based on invalid warrants,” “unlawfully executes search warrants without knocking and announcing,” “unlawfully stops, searches, detains, and arrests people,” “unlawfully discriminates against Black people,” and “violates the rights of people engaged in protected speech critical of policing.” Attorney General Merrick Garland concluded that “this conduct is unacceptable. It is heartbreaking. It erodes the community trust necessary for effective policing, and it is an affront to the people of Louisville, who deserve better.”
For Context: The probe was conducted in response to an incident in 2020 where Louisville police officers executed a no-knock narcotics warrant at the home of Breonna Taylor, entering the residence with a battering ram after midnight. Taylor’s boyfriend reportedly believed the officers were intruders and fired at them, hitting one officer in the leg. The officers returned fire and Taylor was shot and killed. No drugs were found in the house, and a former officer later pleaded guilty to falsifying information on the warrant.
How The Media Covered It: The release of the report was covered across the spectrum. Reason Magazine noted that police misconduct investigations have increased under President Biden, after being halted during the Trump Administration. The Associated Press noted other reforms following Taylor’s killing, such as a ban on no-knock warrants in the city.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Center
U.S. Justice Dept finds Louisville police discriminates against Black residents
The Louisville, Kentucky police department whose officers fatally shot Breonna Taylor in 2020 routinely discriminates against Black residents, uses excessive force and conducts illegal searches, the U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday.
The department's findings come nearly two years after U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland launched a civil rights probe into the police department and the Louisville-Jefferson County government to evaluate whether police routinely use unreasonable force and conduct unconstitutional searches.
At a news conference, Garland said the department had reached a "consent decree" with the Louisville police, which will...
From the Left
After Taylor shooting, feds find pattern of violations
The U.S. Justice Department has found Louisville police have engaged in a pattern of violating constitutional rights following an investigation prompted by the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor.
The announcement was made Wednesday by Attorney General Merrick Garland. A Justice Department report found the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government and Louisville Metro Police Department “engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law.”
The report said the Louisville police department “discriminates against Black people in its enforcement activities,” uses...
From the Right
Justice Department probe finds illegal, violent, and discriminatory policing in Louisville, Kentucky
An investigation by the Justice Department has concluded that police in Louisville, Missouri, routinely violate residents' constitutional rights by using excessive force, conducting illegal traffic stops and narcotics raids, retaliating against residents for protected speech, and discriminating against minorities.
The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division released a report today finding that the Louisville Metro Police Department(LMPD) and local government had "a pattern or practice" of constitutional violations. The civil rights probe was launched in the aftermath of the police killing of Breonna Taylor, who was shot to death during an...
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