DOJ, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor

Louisville, Kentucky AP — The US Justice Department and the city of Louisville have reached an agreement to reform the city’s police force after an investigation prompted by the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor, officials said Thursday. The Justice Department report released in March 2023 said the Louisville police department “discriminates against Black people in its enforcement activities,” uses excessive force and conducts searches based on invalid warrants. “This conduct harmed community members and undermined public trust in law enforcement that is essential for public safety,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, who leads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. City officials in Memphis have taken a different approach, pushing against the need for a Justice Department consent decree to enact reforms in light of a federal investigation launched after Tyre Nichols’ killing that found Memphis officers routinely use unwarranted force and disproportionately target Black people. The Justice Department under the first Trump administration curtailed the use of consent decrees, and the Republican president-elect is expected to again radically reshape the department’s priorities around civil rights.