Ban on no-knock warrants introduced by Pittsburgh City Council

Breonna Taylor’s shooting death last year by police in Louisville, Ky., has inspired cities across the country to enact legislation banning no-knock warrants.

Taylor, 26, was shot March 26, 2020, by plainclothes police officers with a no-knock warrant. They entered her boyfriend’s apartment, where she was at the time, and the boyfriend fired what he called a warning shot, causing police to return fire. Police went to the apartment as part of a drug investigation.

Taylor’s death was among many highlighted during Black Lives Matter protests across the nation, including several in Pittsburgh.

On Tuesday, Pittsburgh City Council members Ricky Burgess and R. Daniel Lavelle introduced an ordinance that would ban police from serving no-knock warrants in Pittsburgh.

None of the officers were charged with a crime specifically tied to Taylor’s death. Prosecutors said the officers were “justified in their use of force” because Taylor’s boyfriend fired at officers first, although one was charged with wanton endangerment because he fired blindly through a door and window.

No-knock warrants are not and have not been used in the city, Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich has said. In Pennsylvania, such warrants aren’t an option, according to Mike Manko, a spokesman for Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr.

“When applying for a search warrant in Pennsylvania with either a Common Pleas judge or a Magisterial District judge, there is no option to request that the judge categorize it as a ‘no-knock’ warrant,’ ” Manko said.

The legislation will ensure it never is an option in Pittsburgh, Burgess said.

“We want to make sure it doesn’t become a policy. We also want to stand in solidarity to make a statement on social justice,” Burgess said.

The proposed ordinance also requires that officers activate their body cameras before serving a warrant, he said.

The Black Lives Matter movement has called for police reform, measures have been approved in the last year by city council and more work needs to be done, Burgess said.

“We need to give the community greater confidence in the police,” he said.

There were no council members who opposed the bill when it was introduced Tuesday and Councilman Bruce Kraus asked to be added as a co-sponsor of the legislation. Council members Bobby Wilson and Erika Strassburger also became co-sponsors of the bill after the meeting.

Today Pittsburgh City Council introduced legislation to ban 'No-Knock' Warrants #BreonnasLaw. I'm proud to be a sponsor of this bill with @RevBurgessPgh @RDLavelle @erikastrassbrgr @BruceKraus

— Bobby Wilson (@bobbywilson412) January 19, 2021