U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Monday that his office will open an investigation into the policies and practices of the Louisville Metro Police Department.
According to ABC News, the investigation will look into the policies and training techniques utilized by the LMPD. Over the last year, the department has come under increased scrutiny after LMPD officers fatally shot Breonna Taylor in her home while delivering a no-knock warrant. Only one of the officers involved in the shooting has faced charges, and Garland said that the investigation will take into account the settlement the city reached with Taylor’s family and the reform measures implemented after her death.
“The investigation will assess whether LMPD engages in a pattern or practice of using unreasonable force, including with respect to people involved in peaceful, expressive activities,” Garland told reporters. “It will determine whether LMPD engages in unconstitutional stops searches and seizures, as well as whether the department unlawfully executes search warrants on private homes.”
Garland added that the investigation will also examine whether there is a pattern of racial bias in the department as well as if the department fails to provide services in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“As in every Justice Department investigation we will follow the facts and the law, wherever they lead. If there is reasonable cause to believe that there was a pattern or practice of constitutional or statutory violations, we will issue a public report of our conclusions,” Garland told reporters. Garland added that the investigation has the support of the Louisville mayor, as well as the chief of police.
Sure, it’s a step up from the general inaction of the Trump administration, but that’s a very low bar to clear. Maybe I’m being pessimistic, but I’m simply tired of watching Black lives be cut short by police officers week after week. The stakes are life and death, and it feels like they’re just treating symptoms as opposed to getting at the root core of the problem.