![]() He added that the group lauded Garland and the Department of Justice 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.” Today marks a meaningful step toward police accountability and - should Congress now decide to step up - police reform,” Johnson’s statement said. “While Congress continues to fail our country with police reform, at least the Department of Justice is taking their jobs seriously. NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson applauded the Justice Department findings but said federal lawmakers have yet to step up and enact wider police reforms. Both officers are facing federal charges. ![]() Garland cited one incident where two officers threw drinks at pedestrians and recorded the encounters. The report said Black motorists were more likely to be searched during traffic stops, and officers used neck restraints, police dogs and Tasers against people who posed no imminent threat. Two more officers are charged in the warrant probe, and a third, Brett Hankison, is charged with endangering Taylor and her neighbors with his shots into her apartment. The warrant used to enter her home is now part of a separate federal criminal investigation, and one former Louisville officer has already pleaded guilty to helping falsify information on the warrant. Taylor was struck several times and died at the scene. Three officers fired shots after Taylor’s boyfriend, fearing an intruder, shot an officer in the leg. ![]() Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was roused from her bed by police who came through the door using a battering ram after midnight on March 13, 2020. Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, said Wednesday that she remains upset that it took so long to feel some vindication. The city will sign a negotiated agreement with the Justice Department and a federal officer will monitor the progress. The sweeping probe announced in April 2021 is known as a “pattern or practice” investigation - examining whether there is a pattern of unconstitutional or unlawful policing inside the department. “It erodes the community trust necessary for effective policing and it is an affront to the vast majority of officers who put their lives on the line every day to serve Louisville with honor.” “This conduct is unacceptable, it is heartbreaking,” Garland said. Garland said some officers have assaulted people with disabilities and called Black people disparaging names. ![]() It also said the department violates the rights of people engaged in protected speech, like the street protests in the city in the summer of 2020 after Taylor’s death. The report said the Louisville police department “discriminates against Black people in its enforcement activities,” uses excessive force and conducts searches based on invalid warrants. 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.” Justice Department found Louisville police have engaged in a pattern of violating constitutional rights and discrimination against the Black community following an investigation prompted by the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor.Īttorney General Merrick Garland made the announcement Wednesday.
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