No-knock warrants allow for the police to legally break into, and enter the private residence of a civilian without prior announcement or warning, and are considered to be one of the most dangerous and intrusive policing tactics. No-knock entries create panic and confusion amongst the residents, and sometimes death, as evidenced by the killing of Breonna Taylor in 2020, who was fatally shot by police as they were serving a no-knock warrant on her home in Louisville, Kentucky.
Criminal justice experts estimate that police carry out tens of thousands of no-knock raids every year in the United States. Critics of no-knock warrants say that the risks outweigh the benefits of such tactics, and that said benefits are often not worth the amount of drugs recovered. The actual negative impact of no-knock warrants is difficult to quantify, as state agencies do not monitor the use of these warrants, and federal agencies do not track the number of people killed or wounded in the resulting raids.
According to a Washington Post investigation, at least 22 people have been killed since 2015, including Amir Locke and Breonna Taylor, during no-knock search warrants. Amir Locke was killed in Minneapolis during a no-knock search warrants when police were looking for others implicated in a homicide investigation. And Louisville police killed Breonna Taylor in 2020 during a drug investigation that did not even involve her.
At least 22 people have been killed during the execution of no-knock warrants since 2015
Statistically, no-knock warrants are used primarily against marginalized communities and people of color. We believe that the potential risk of no-knock warrants, especially to innocent victims, far outweigh the pros of such tactics, and that no-knock warrants should be banned. If you agree, please fill out the form, and we will send it to the appropriate government officials.
Take action now, and make your voice heard.