No-knock raids and their deadly consequences

“Despite a horrific track record, no-knock warrants continue to be used by police departments across the country.” by Steven Craddock https://t.co/lp4RVNqxUn pic.twitter.com/mZMWvMICUT

— Free the People (@freethepeople) February 19, 2022

Free the People’s Steven Craddock writes, “Earlier this month, Minneapolis police officers shot and killed Amir Locke during a no-knock raid, even though Locke was not the suspect they were looking for. In fact, he wasn’t even named on the search warrant. Last month, a similar story took place in Las Vegas when police shot and killed Isaiah Tyree Williams. Both of these tragic stories can be added to a long list of no-knock raids that have ended with innocent people being maimed or killed by police simply for failing to react calmly to armed intruders kicking in their doors, shouting commands, and setting off flash-bang grenades in the middle of the night or in the early morning.

These raids—which are commonly used in drug-related cases as part of the failed and deadly War on Drugs—became a national discussion after the 2020 police killing of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. There are many parallels between all of these situations, and while it’s true that some reform has taken place in certain areas since 2020, there is clearly much more work to be done. As I intend to highlight throughout this article, the use of this tactic cannot be allowed to continue as the risk of death or serious injury is just too great for everyone involved while the benefits are minimal.”

Read the entire column.