After Breonna Taylor’s killing, feds find pattern of discrimination by Louisville police
LA TimesA mural shows a portrait of Breonna Taylor in Annapolis, Md., in 2020, the year she was killed by Louisville police who broke into her home. The U.S. Justice Department found Louisville police have engaged in a pattern of violating constitutional rights and discrimination against the Black community after an investigation prompted by the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor. A Justice Department report found the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government and Louisville Metro Police Department “engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law.” The report said the Police Department “discriminates against Black people in its enforcement activities,” uses excessive force and conducts searches based on invalid warrants. One of Palmer’s attorneys, Lonita Baker, said she was encouraged by the Justice Department’s findings, but it’s “unfortunate that it took the murder of Breonna Taylor and protest after protest after protest through 2020 to come to this point.” Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the city “has wounds that are not yet healed.” “We have to come to terms with where we’ve been, so we can get to where we want to be,” Greenberg said. He added that the group lauded Garland and the Justice Department for continuing a “pursuit of justice” and added, “Congress should take a page from their book, do their jobs, and pass the legislation necessary to save innocent lives.” Louisville police have undergone five leadership changes since the Taylor shooting, and Greenberg is interviewing candidates for the next chief.