Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The U.S. Justice Department and the city of Louisville have reached an agreement to reform the city’s police force after an investigation prompted by the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor and police treatment of protesters, officials said Thursday.

The consent decree, which must be approved by a judge, follows a federal investigation that found Louisville police have engaged in a pattern of violating constitutional rights and discrimination against the Black community.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the consent decree “builds upon and accelerates the transformational reform of community policing" in Louisville. He noted that “significant improvements” have already been implemented since Taylor's death in March 2020. That includes a city law banning the use of “no-knock” warrants, which were commonly used in late-night drug raids.

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. Three officers fired shots after Taylor’s boyfriend, saying he feared an intruder, shot an officer in the leg. Taylor was struck several times and died in her hallway.

Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, attended the announcement but said she wants to see more action, not words, by city officials.

“We have a history of putting things on paper and not moving the needle, so we have to stay on top of the situation and definitely make sure they are doing what they say they are doing,” said Palmer, who was awarded a $12 million wrongful death settlement by the city in 2020.

The city's police department has undergone a half-dozen leadership changes since Taylor's death.

The newest chief, Paul Humphrey, a longtime veteran of Louisville police, said Thursday that the U.S. Justice officials are “not making decisions for the city of Louisville,” but he applauded the agreement with the federal government.

“I believe that having an independent monitor gives us an opportunity to have the excellence of our work confirmed for the community,” Humphrey said. “This has to be more than just words on a page. It is a promise to our officers and our professional staff that we are going to lead them and support them the right way.”

The Justice Department report released in March 2023 said the Louisville police department “discriminates against Black people in its enforcement activities,” uses excessive force and conducts searches based on invalid warrants. It also said the department violates the rights of people engaged in protests.

“This conduct harmed community members and undermined public trust in law enforcement that is essential for public safety,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, who leads the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "This consent decree marks a new day for Louisville."

Once the consent decree is agreed upon, a federal officer will monitor the progress made by the city.

The agreement 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 Justice Department under the Biden administration opened 12 civil rights investigations into law enforcement agencies, but this is the first that has reached a consent decree. The Justice Department and the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, announced an agreement in 2022 but the investigation into that police department was opened under President Donald Trump’s first administration.

City officials in Memphis have taken a different approach, pushing against the need for a Justice Department consent decree to enact reforms in light of a federal investigation launched after Tyre Nichols’ killing that found Memphis officers routinely use unwarranted force and disproportionately target Black people. Memphis officials have not ruled eventually agreeing to a consent decree, but have said the city can make changes more effectively without committing to a binding pact.

It remains to be seen what will happen to attempts to reach such agreements between cities and the Justice Department once President-elect Trump returns to the White House. The Justice Department under the first Trump administration curtailed the use of consent decrees, and the Republican president-elect is expected to again radically reshape the department’s priorities around civil rights.