LOUISVILLE, Ky. — (AP) — Kentucky's largest city reached an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department on a consent decree that will guide efforts to reform Louisville's police department, prompted by Breonna Taylor's death in 2020.
Here are some highlights of the development Thursday:
Breonna Taylor's shooting by Louisville police and the department's use of force on street protesters in 2020 attracted the attention of the U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. An investigation opened in 2021 by Attorney General Merrick Garland took a wide look at policing practices in the Louisville department, including the treatment of the city's Black community during warrant searches, traffic stops and demonstrations over Taylor's death. The probe, which was finished in 2023, also looked at police training practices and the department's accountability system for officers.
The agreement, called a consent decree, released Thursday requires Louisville police to revise its use of force policies; ensure traffic stops and searches are constitutional and not based on race; and improve the department’s response to public demonstrations that are critical of policing, among other initiatives.
The agreement will be monitored by a federal officer and must be approved by a federal judge before the city is released from its requirements.
Breonna Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, has been a stalwart of seeking justice for her daughter's killing, attending countless press conferences, community meetings and court trials since 2020. On Thursday, she said after the consent decree announcement that the city needs “action.”
“We’ve been talking since 2020,” Palmer said. “And some things have happened very slowly and some not at all. So we definitely have to see action.” Palmer received a $12 million wrongful death settlement from the city over Taylor's death.
A court-appointed monitor will be selected and their job will be to determine if Louisville and its police department are meeting the agreement's requirements. The consent decree lays out “specific policies, trainings, and programs” that the police force must implement, the Justice Department said. It requires the city to collect and analyze data as a way of holding officers accountable.
The decree also requires the department to report on its progress publicly. The federal court will hold a hearing at the end of a five-year period to assess if the city has met its requirements.
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