On March 13, 2020, police killed Breonna Taylor in her home in a now-infamous no-knock raid. She was only 26 years old and served as an emergency medical technician in Louisville, Kentucky. The tragic incident involved officers executing a no-knock warrant related to a suspect who was not present at Taylor’s residence. The events of that night have since ignited widespread protests and calls for significant changes in policing practices across the United States.
At the time of the raid, Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Lucius, had been inside the apartment. When he heard the officers come in, he shot a shot just thinking they were intruders. The police officers answered with gunfire, hitting Taylor several times. She succumbed to her injuries shortly thereafter. Officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove have been universally condemned. Their conduct during the raid is now subject to strict scrutiny.
Officer Hankison was charged with wanton endangerment for his use of excessive force during the operation. In contrast, Officer Mattingly was accused of purposefully including misleading information in the warrant that led to the fatal raid. These allegations have ignited a broader national conversation about holding law enforcement agencies accountable and the use of no-knock warrant protocols altogether.
The anger and outrage after Taylor’s death led to months of protests across the country calling for police reform and racial justice. Many of the demonstrators called for increasing transparency and accountability in law enforcement practices. The phrase “Say Her Name” became a rallying cry for activists demanding change in policing policies.
Almost a dozen states have responded to these incidents. They’ve introduced legislation and swayed changes in state law on no-knock warrants, and hope to see other advocates stop similar tragedies from occurring. Advocates urge that we need to change these practices so citizens don’t needlessly lose their lives at our hands. They are hoping this shift will cultivate trust between communities and police.
