Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) marked the end of the state’s no-knock warrants with a ceremonial signing of “Breonna’s Law.”
Twenty-six-year-old Breonna Taylor, an EMT, was killed in her home in Louisville, Kentucky, by police officers after they acted on a no-knock warrant.
Bianca Austin and Tahasha Holloway, Breonna Taylor’s aunts, joined Northam during the ceremony as well as civil rights advocate and attorney Ben Crump who represented Taylor’s family.
“Virginia is leading the way on policing reforms like this one, which will make our communities safer and our criminal justice system more fair and equitable,” Northam said.
He added, “While nothing can bring back Breonna Taylor, and so many others, we honor them when change laws, when we act to right long-standing wrongs, and when we do the work to make sure more names do not follow theirs.”
Watch the signing below:
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed "Breonna's Law" on Monday, banning no-knock warrants in the commonwealth.
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) December 7, 2020
Virginia is only the third state to adopt a law banning no-knock warrants and the first since Breonna Taylor was fatally shot in her home by police earlier this year. pic.twitter.com/hU3ffVjlcA
Virginia is the third state to put a stop to no-knock warrants and the first since the death of Taylor.
The city of Louisville agreed to pay Taylor’s family $12 million in a wrongful death lawsuit, as IJR previously reported.
A Kentucky grand jury indicted one of the three police officers involved in the shooting for wanton endangerment.
Crump took to Twitter to voice his frustration with the ruling, as IJR previously reported.
“Jefferson County Grand Jury indicts former ofc. Brett Hankison with 3 counts of Wanton Endangerment in 1st Degree for bullets that went into other apartments but NOTHING for the murder of Breonna Taylor. This is outrageous and offensive!” Crump wrote.
He continued, “If Brett Hankison’s behavior was wanton endangerment to people in neighboring apartments, then it should have been wanton endangerment in Breonna Taylor’s apartment too. In fact, it should have been ruled wanton murder!”
President-elect Joe Biden said the indictment of the officer “does not answer that call” of justice.
Jonathan Mattingly, one of the police officers involved in the warrant at Taylor’s apartment told The Courier Journal and ABC News, “This had nothing to do with race. Nothing at all.”
Protests also erupted across Louisville following the court’s decision.