Mayor Greg, of Louisville, Kentucky, will pay 12 million ($ 9.31 million) to the family of Breonna Taylor, a black woman who was shot dead by police during a knife raid on her apartment in March. , Mayor Greg Fischer said Tuesday.
The settlement has one
of the largest populations of its kind in the United States, where police
departments are prevented’ from paying compensation for deaths in their
custody.
Fischer said in a news
conference that he has not explicitly acknowledged any wrongdoing on the part
of the city, but that it will be accompanied’ by reforms to the Louisville
Metro Police Department, including the requirement that The search warrant
should be approved before handing over the commanders to the judge.
No police officer has
been charged’ with Taylor's death, but Kentucky Attorney General Daniel
Cameron, a Black Republican, is expected’ to file a lawsuit this week,
according to local media reports. Will be brought’ before a grand jury,
according to local media reports.
"I sincerely
apologize for the death of Breonna," White Fisher told reporters. "My
administration is not looking forward to moving forward with the necessary
reforms to prevent such a tragedy from happening again."
With the death of
George Floyd, a black man who had a shot in the neck, a white Minneapolis
police officer, sparked one of the largest protests in American history, in
cities since then. There were daily demonstrations.
The mayor was
accompanied by Taylor's family and local activists, who said they welcomed the
settlement and called on officials involved to face criminal charges.
"As important as
it is today, this is just the beginning of full justice for Breonna," said
Taylor Palmer, Taylor's mother. "It's time to move on from criminal
charges because he deserves so much more."
The mayor invited Tamika
Mallory, co-founder of the workers' group Freedom, to the podium, where he said
there would be "no peace" if the officers involved were not charged.
"The settlement is
revenge, but it is not arresting police officers," he said.
The family's lawyer,
Benjamin crump, told reporters the settlement was the largest in the United
States since the police killings.
The family of Philando
Castile, a black motorcyclist who was shot’ dead by a police officer during a
traffic stop in Minnesota, was awarded’ $ 3 million in 2017. In 2016, Cleveland
officials agreed to pay $6 million after Tamir Rice's family was shot’ dead by
a police officer.
As part of Tuesday's
settlement, Fisher said Louisville police officers would’ be offered housing
credit for relocating to some of the city's poorest areas in hopes of improving
social relations. They will also be encouraged to volunteer for regular
community organizations and will have to increase random testing for drug use.
Emergency medical technician
Taylor, 26, died March 13 when Louisville police arrived at midnight. He later
used a so-called 'tip' arrest warrant to enter his apartment, so he did not
have to declare himself.
Louisville police
obtained a warrant from a judge as part of an investigation into a drug ring at
another home in the city. He told the judge that he believed one of the enraged
drug dealers had used Taylor's apartment to receive the package.
According to her
family, Taylor had previously announced the date of the suspected drug dealer
but had severed ties with her.
In June, police fired
ten detectives at Taylor's apartment and fired White Detective Brett Hankison,
one of three officers involved in "extreme indifference to the value of
human life."
Two other officers have
been assigned’ to administrative duties. The use of non-warrants is also
banned’ in this city.
Fisher refused to agree
to the family's request that he pledge to fire all officers involved, despite
the indictment.
Reuters investigation
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-minneapolis-police-immune-outliers/when-cops-kill-redress-is-rare-except-in-famous-cases-idUSKBN22K193
The police have found that in addition to large-scale cases, the victims or
their bereaved families have largely been spared the payment of financial
settlements.
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