KY late night no knock warrant kills EMT that wasn't suspect

[Bruenor]

These middle of the night raids are BS. Poor police work, poor communication, they already picked up their target at his own residence, but do a no knock warrant in the middle of the night anyway on a different apartment. I would think the unit that conducts these raids should be number one, on the list of units required to wear body cams.. and of course the surviving resident is charged with attempted murder of a police officer for defending himself. I'm normally pro Law enforcement, but this is crap.

https://www.wdrb.com/in-depth/attorneys ... gJVkbWSq-A" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The union representing Louisville Metro Police officers lashed out at a local judge Friday for releasing from jail an inmate who allegedly shot a police officer earlier this month, calling the action “a slap in the face to everyone wearing a badge.”

But an attorney for Kenneth Walker claims police conducted an improper raid, which led to officers shooting an innocent woman eight times, killing her. The woman, 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, was a certified EMT working at two local hospitals.

Defense attorney Rob Eggert said police burst in Taylor's home without announcing their presence and fired at least 22 times, with bullets going into neighboring apartments, and “it was incredible that Mrs. Taylor was the only one killed.”

An attorney representing the family, Sam Aguiar, said police were actually looking for someone else and other officers had picked the suspect up at his home in a separate raid shortly before the shooting.

Walker’s attorney, Eggert, claims police did not announce themselves as they exploded through the door of the apartment around 1 a.m., while the couple was sleeping.

Eggert acknowledges that Walker fired a shot, hitting Sgt. Mattingly in the leg, but claims Walker did not know he was shooting at police, according to a motion filed in court.

Police then returned fire, killing Taylor, Eggert wrote.

There were no drugs found in the home, Eggert said.

And Walker was not the target of the search warrant and if he had known police were outside, he would have let them in, Eggert said in the motion.

https://www.theroot.com/black-woman-sho ... 1842545329" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Officers (as per usual) maintain that they did nothing wrong. They claim they repeatedly knocked at the door and announced themselves as officers—something we will all have to take their word for since they weren’t wearing body cameras because they were members of the department’s Criminal Interdiction division and, for reasons unexplained, officers in that division don’t wear body-cams.

A neighbor of the house where the shooting occurred said in an affidavit that she heard the gunshots and Walker calling for help, but that she never heard anyone announce themselves as police

Walker had just accepted a job at UPS before the incident.

So I would guess that UPS does drug testing, and he wouldn't be able to work there if he were a drug user....

[kcclark]

Newspaper article published shortly after the shooting. Looks like the police were not sharing the info about the person in warrant having been arrested before this incident took place.

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/n ... 040349002/

[ArmedAviator]

These stories always make me want to booby trap the hell out of my house. I know it's illegal and dangerous to EMTs/fire, but these raids aren't much better. I'd have a better outcome in the courts than some drug dealer down the street claiming I'm the drug kingpin in my neighborhood. And considering I am probably one of the few that aren't druggies in my neighborhood.

God help the cops that kick down my door in the middle of the night and gets my adrenaline pumping at 2am. I don't have a suppressed AR and a suppressed XDm on both sides of the bed for nothing.

[catfish86]

What I find interesting is the police saying the victim was a danger to the community...I am more scared by a police unit kicking down the door to the wrong apartment and shooting the occupants dead.

[deanimator]

In recent years there's been a long series of "wrong address" raids by the Chicago PD.

People roughed up, guns pointed at toddlers and at places CLEARLY not the ones specified in the warrants.

The cops literally don't care because they KNOW they won't face any consequences.

[Bruenor]

EMT's family is suing police.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... -raid.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Walker, who has a license to carry, fired his gun thinking they were being robbed, his attorneys say. He now faces charges of first-degree assault and attempted murder of a police officer after Sgt. Mattingly was hit.

Taylor - who had no criminal record and worked for two local hospitals - was killed after police fired at least 20 rounds into the home, according to the lawsuit. No police body cam is available.

The suit adds: 'Neither of the two of them had any criminal history for drugs or violence.

'Breonna had committed no crime, posed no immediate threat to the safety of the defendants and did not actively resist or attempt to evade arrest prior to being repeatedly shot and killed by the defendants.

'The officers failed to use any sound reasonable judgement whatsover when firing more than 25 blind shots into multiple homes and causing the wrongful death of Breonna.'

Activist Shaun King wrote on Instagram: 'For weeks the city treated Breonna like she was a criminal. Police literally called her a 'suspect,' and said they killed a suspect for weeks, until finally being forced to admit they got the whole the wrong.

[BEAR!]

These stories always make me want to booby trap the hell out of my house. I know it's illegal and dangerous to EMTs/fire, but these raids aren't much better. I'd have a better outcome in the courts than some drug dealer down the street claiming I'm the drug kingpin in my neighborhood. And considering I am probably one of the few that aren't druggies in my neighborhood.

God help the cops that kick down my door in the middle of the night and gets my adrenaline pumping at 2am. I don't have a suppressed AR and a suppressed XDm on both sides of the bed for nothing.

That makes two of us.

[Bruenor]

Shouldn't have been charged in the first place.. If there was actually a legitimate reason to no knock raid this guys house they better get the info out there. right now he's being charged for attempted murder of a police officer for acting in self defense.
https://www.wave3.com/2020/03/27/judge- ... weeks-ago/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Unreal how they present this story.. Lets not mention it was in the middle of the night or that you kicked the door in.

LMPD Sgt. Jon Mattingly and two detectives went to a home on Springfield Drive to serve a search warrant.

LMPD officials said the three were fired upon, and when they shot back, a woman inside the home was killed.

Walker eventually surrendered and was taken into custody.

Yesterday, Judge Olu Stevens, released inmate Kenneth Walker on home incarceration. The Fraternal Order of Police condemns this Judge’s actions. Just one week ago, this man violently attacked our officers and was charged with attempted murder after shooting a sergeant! Not only is he a threat to the men and women of law enforcement, but he also poses a significant danger to the community we protect!

[catfish86]

LMPD officers put their lives on the li ... community.

So did the Gestapo, doesn't make what they did right and it doesn't make what the LMPD did right either. I also have little patience for brothers in arms who waive the flag and battle stress as an excuse for war atrocities. There are still rules of engagement and when you violate them there should be consequences.

This raid crossed a number of lines that are not excused by "I have a dangerous job", when you pull the trigger you are still responsible for what the bullet does.

[Bruenor]

small steps, the police are admitting some things should change. still not admitting fault of course.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/breonna-ta ... -warrants/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Louisville Metro Police Department will change its search warrant policy and officers will be required to wear body cameras in more situations after a black emergency medical worker was shot and killed by an officer in her home, city mayor Greg Fischer said Monday. Breonna Taylor, 26, was killed in March when police entered her home searching for illegal drugs.

During a livestreamed press conference, Fischer said that "no-knock" search warrants will now need a sign off from the police chief before they are sent to a judge for approval. Officers had a no-knock search warrant approved the night they executed it at Taylor's home, Fischer said.

Not sure how a signoff from the chief will improve the quality of the evidence for obtaining a no-knock.

"This is a step, but we know there needs to be more conversation on the use of these warrants," the mayor said.

Fischer also announced that plainclothes units — like the one that was serving the warrant at Taylor's home — will need to wear cameras while executing the search warrant. The new policy will apply to all officers during search warrants and other situations in which they identify themselves as police officers, according to the mayor.

Also not sure why you would use plainclothes officers to execute a breaking and entering unannounced warrant, would think you'd want as many visible indicators as possible that you are the police.

[schmieg]

Also not sure why you would use plainclothes officers to execute a breaking and entering unannounced warrant, would think you'd want as many visible indicators as possible that you are the police.

At the very least, they should be wearing jackets or vests that have POLICE written prominently on them.

[bignflnut]

Senator Rand Paul, with his glorious hockey beard and curled locks, has weighed in:

But the warrant shows Taylor was not the main subject of the investigation, and that no narcotics were found in her apartment after she was shot eight times by police.

"No one should lose their life in pursuit of a crime without a victim, and 'no-knock' warrants should be forbidden," Paul said. "Let’s hope the investigation provides justice."

SNIP

"There is a systemic problem with today’s law enforcement," Paul said in a 2014 op-ed for TIME Magazine.

The senator was addressing protests and riots in the wake of the Ferguson, Missouri, police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown. At the time Paul said "big government" was at the heart of the problem.

"Washington has incentivized the militarization of local police precincts by using federal dollars to help municipal governments build what are essentially small armies — where police departments compete to acquire military gear that goes far beyond what most of Americans think of as law enforcement," Paul said in the 2014 editorial.

Paul joins elected officials from Kentucky and around the country who've spoken out about Taylor's shooting.

If a LEO shoots an EMT, what can be done about this #Hero on #Hero crime?
Who played the stupid games and won the stupid prize here?
How many thin blue line stickers were removed from vehicles in that community?

Happy Memorial Day weekend. Will there be a parade entry from this PD?

[WhyNot]

Yes yes make all no-knocks, no-more. The most extreme abuse of rights is, innocents are killed.

Much like Ohio's so-called ''sobriety Czech points,'' whereas 600 ppl are stopped, and, IF LUCKY (extreme emphasis added), 3 (three) (3) ppl are apprehended .

Speaking of , there was another one announced recently in Somewhere Towne, OH Czech. I sincerely do not remember, 'cause I dismissed it AS I ALREADY KNOW THE APPROXIMATE #s . Maybe tonite? I don't remember.

[bignflnut]

Beshear added that elected officials have “a responsibility, not just to maintain the peace, which is what we ought to be doing, but to also listen, to show empathy, to try to find a way to move in the right direction, not the wrong one.”

Louisville’s mayor also called for peace as he said two of the wounded from the gunfire in his city underwent surgery while five were in good condition.

“I feel the community’s frustration, the anger, the fear, but tonight’s violence and destruction is not the way to solve it,” Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said in a video posted to Twitter.

Thursday night’s demonstration came as protesters across the country, in cities including Los Angeles, Denver, New York and Memphis, turned out in alliance with demonstrators in Minneapolis, where George Floyd became the latest black man to die in police custody.

The protests quickly followed the release of a 911 call Taylor’s boyfriend made on March 13, moments after the 26-year-old EMT was shot eight times by narcotics detectives who knocked down her front door. No drugs were found in the home.

Around 500 to 600 demonstrators marched through the Kentucky city’s downtown streets, the Courier Journal reported. The protests continued for more than six hours, ending in the early hours of Friday as rain poured down.

[catfish86]

What is being overlooked here: one of the "fixes" is to have the police chief sign off on no-knock warrants before going to the judge...shouldn't the judge be the fail-safe? The role of judges who are apparently signing off on these warrants without any real inquisition to it...remember, there is no opposing party to represent the target...is being overlooked. Part and parcel of this is the militarization of police but the judges are too cozy and cooperative with police. Essentially the judges are just checking to see if the affidavit of the police officer is attached and claims what needs to be claimed. Think about that.