According to a report released by The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ), sparked the fatal 2020 police shooting of Breonna Taylor, the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) perpetually engaged in a pattern of violations and racial discrimination. On March 8 Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that a two-year investigation uncovered information proving that the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government and LMPD “engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law.”
The report alleges that LMPD uses excessive force, conducts searches despite “invalid warrants,” and “discriminates against Black people in its enforcement activities.” The probe, which is known as a “pattern or practice,” investigation, also revealed “unlawful racial disparities” within the department and accuses LMPD of engaging in conduct that “violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Safe Streets Act and the Americans With Disabilities Act,” according to CNN.
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While discussing details of the DOJ investigation during a press conference following the release of the report, Garland provided shocking information about LMPD conduct — which he described as “unacceptable,” and “heartbreaking.” Garland accused Louisville police of using excessive force tactics, which include “unjustified neck restraints,” in addition to “unreasonable use of police dogs and tasers.” During his address, Garland also spoke about instances where LMPD ” demonstrated disrespect for the people they are sworn to protect,” revealing officers had allegedly insulted people with disabilities and video-tapped themselves throwing drinks at pedestrians from their vehicles. In another shocking claim, Garland accused LMPD officers of using racial epithets towards Black residents such as “monkey,” and “boy,” among others. Watch footage from the press conference below.
Attorney General Merrick Garland outlines findings of nearly two-year civil rights investigation into Louisville Police Department, which found pattern of unlawful and discriminatory conduct.
“This conduct is unacceptable. It is heartbreaking.” https://t.co/47j35FTBSr pic.twitter.com/04R8FRp0E2
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) March 8, 2023
The DOJ report goes on to accuse LMPD of failing to provide officers with proper training and resources to help them “do their jobs effectively,” in addition to a deficient response to “investigating domestic violence and sexual assault,” crimes, along with multiple other violations. Garland went on to detail changes LMPD has made following Breonna Taylor’s death, which include the passing of legislation prohibiting officers from pursuing no-knock warrants — which played a role in Taylor’s death in 2020. While Garland commended LMPD’s efforts thus far, he emphasized that “more must be done.” During his explanation, Garland also detailed the new agreement between the DOJ and the police department in regard to upcoming reformation efforts.
“The city of Louisville has signed an agreement in principle with the Department of Justice,” Garland said in part. “This agreement commits the city and LMPD to work with the Justice Department, the community, police officers and other stakeholders to address the problems that we have identified. This agreement commits us to negotiate a legally binding consent decree with an independent monitor,” Garland said.
In March 2020, Taylor was shot to death after ex-detective Brett Hankison and other officers broke down the door to her apartment and fired multiple shots at the deceased 26-year-old emergency room technician and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker III, during the execution of a no-knock warrant. The warrant was approved by a Jefferson County Circuit Court, along with five search warrants, for locations linked to Taylor’s ex-boyfriend — a convicted felon suspected of supplying a local drug house.
A full list of the violations LMPD is accused of by the DOJ is linked here.