Cops in Louisville, Kentucky, are now required to wear body cameras after officers entered Breonna Taylor’s home and shot her dead in March.
Breonna Taylor, 26, was killed in March after police entered her home unannounced, searching for drugs. Her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, shot one of the cops during the altercation and has since been charged with attempted murder.
Walker, who is a licensed gun owner, said he thought someone was breaking into their home and was protecting himself and Taylor.
The officers had a no-knock warrant but entered the wrong home. They claimed Walker shot at them first, but none of the altercation was caught on tape because officers were not wearing body cameras.
Neither Walker nor Taylor had a criminal history of drugs or violence, and no drugs were even found during the raid.
Taylor’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit and accused the officers of using excessive force and gross negligence.
Mayor Greg Fischer said Monday that the police chief will now have to sign off on all no-knock warrants before sending them to a judge for approval. The new policy will also be extended to uniformed officers.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The police department’s current policy requires that officers turn on their body cameras when responding to any call for service and “prior to engaging in all law enforcement activities or encounters.”
But now all sworn officers will be required to wear cameras when serving warrants or in any situation where they identify themselves as police.
The policy makes exceptions for the bomb squad, SWAT team, hostage situations, and inside youth detention centers.
