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Justice Department to probe Louisville's policing practices

26 April 2021
Dan Ackermann

The Justice Department is opening a civil investigation into the Louisville Metro Police Department to determine if they have engaged in "violations of the constitutions or federal law," Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Monday.

Why it matters: Louisville became the center of national attention last year after police officers shot and killed Breonna Taylor in her home. Her death led to a wave of mass protests across the country.

  • It’s the second "pattern or practice" investigation the DOJ has announced in a week’s span, after it said it would probe Minneapolis last week.

What he's saying: The DOJ will look at whether the department has engaged in a "pattern or practice" of civil rights violations or unlawful activity, according to Garland.

  • "Trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve" is the key to safety.
  • The DOJ will work with the department to increase transparency and accountability, Garland said. "We come to them as partners, knowing that we share a common aim."

The DOJ plans to investigate:

  • The use of unreasonable force, including incidents involving peaceful protesters.
  • Unconstitutional stops, searches and seizures.
  • Unlawful search warrants in private homes.
  • Discriminatory conduct on the basis of race.

If violations are uncovered, the DOJ will work with the department to arrive at "mutually agreeable steps" to correct and prevent unlawful practices.

  • The DOJ will follow the law and the facts "wherever they lead," Garland said.

The big picture: The announcement comes one week after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, signaling a shift in future prosecutions of police brutality cases.

Go deeper:6 police killings occurred in the 24 hours after verdict in Chauvin trial

Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times

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Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.

Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.

The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.

  • The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.

What the transcripts say:

  • Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
  • The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
  • Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."

Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.