(IntegrityTimes.com) – In a rare bipartisan effort, Republican Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, and Democrat Kentucky Representative Morgan McGarvey are working to end the practice of “no-knock “ warrants. The difference between a standard warrant and a no-knock warrant is that law enforcement is required to notify the occupants of their presence immediately before entering a property with a standard warrant. This notification can be as simple as ringing the doorbell or knocking just before entering but it upholds the rights of citizens to know when police are entering their homes.
This is not the first time Paul has fought to ban no-knock warrants. Referred to as the “Justice for Breonna Taylor Act”, the bill failed to pass when he last proposed it in 2020, just months after the death of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor in a late-night no-knock raid on her apartment. Police were investigating her ex-boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover, who was not there. They used a battering ram to break down the door. Her new boyfriend, Kenneth Walker III, was in the apartment with her, and apparently believing they were being robbed he used his legally owned firearm and injured one officer.
Taylor was killed when the officers returned fire, but Walker was unharmed. He was originally charged with attempted murder of a police officer and first-degree assault, although the charges were later dropped. In 2022 he settled for $2 million in his lawsuits against the city of Louisville. The city also settled lawsuits from Taylor’s family six months after her death for the same amount. There was no admission of wrongdoing on the part of law enforcement as part of either settlement.
In a public statement on Monday March 11, Paul said he feels very hopeful that this time the bill will move forward into law. Both Paul and co-sponsor McGarvey say they are working hard to drum up bipartisan support within both chambers. Currently four states have an active ban on no-knock warrants, as well as several cities, but it should be noted that those local laws do not affect federal law enforcement procedures.
Between the years of 2010 and 2016 at least 31 civilians and eight officers have been killed during the execution of no-knock raids. It is estimated that between 60,000 to 70,000 no-knock warrants are served each year.
Copyright 2024, IntegrityTimes.com
