Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is introducing the “Justice for Breonna Taylor Act” after talking earlier in the week with Breonna Taylor’s, 26-year-old Kentucky EMT, family.
While introducing the legislation on Wednesday, Paul said in a statement that it prohibits “no-knock warrants, which allow law enforcement officials to forcibly enter a home without announcing their authority or purpose.”
This would end the type of warrant, “no-knock,” that led to Taylor’s death. When police forcefully entered her apartment in March on an attempted drug raid, Taylor was shot numerous times, as CNN notes. The raid was conducted on a “no-knock: warrant.
The Kentucky senator also noted that he spoke with Taylor’s family.
“After talking with Breonna Taylor’s family, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s long past time to get rid of no-knock warrants. This bill will effectively end no-knock raids in the United States,” Paul said.
The bill would “require federal law enforcement officers to provide notice of their authority and purpose before they could execute a warrant, and it would require the same of any state or local law enforcement agency that receives funds from the Department of Justice.”
After talking with Breonna Taylor’s family, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s long past time to get rid of no-knock warrants. This bill will effectively end no-knock raids in the United States. Read more: https://t.co/88FXs32RTV
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) June 11, 2020
The senator’s communication director tweeted, “We said we could do more. We did,” in response to a video of people applauding Paul for introducing the bill to end “no-knock” warrants nationwide.
See the video below:
We said we could do more. We did. #BreonnaTaylor #SayHerName https://t.co/O8WV0aLkCF
— Kelsey Cooper (@kelseyc00per) June 11, 2020
Congress has been working on different pieces of legislation this week, including legislation for police reform. Both congressional Democrats and congressional Republicans are working on it.
Congressional Democrats unveiled a sweeping U.S. police reform proposal, while Senate Republicans are working on legislation to address police reform and racial injustice.
This comes as protests have erupted across the country for more than two weeks following a video that went viral of George Floyd’s death, who had his neck pinned on by a Minneapolis police officer and died in police custody. Demonstrators are demanding justice and police reform.