The city of Louisville settled lawsuits brought by Breonna Taylor‘s boyfriend, who was there when police fatally shot her during a raid in 2020. The city will pay $2 million to Kenneth Walker III to settle state and federal civil suits that alleged officers involved in the botched raid violated his civil rights The settlement dismisses both lawsuits, the Wall Street Journal reports. Walker and Taylor, a 26-year-old Black emergency-medical technician, were asleep at home in March 2020 when they were roused by police who had secured a no-knock warrant to search the home. Walker, who had a license to carry a firearm, shot at the officers thinking they were intruders. Police responded by firing more than 30 bullets, according to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s office. At least six bullets hit Taylor, one of them fatally. The case was one of several in 2020 that contributed to protests across the U.S. over racial injustice and police brutality. It also prompted debate over no-knock warrants in Kentucky and beyond. “While this tragedy will haunt Kenny for the rest of his life, he is pleased that this chapter of his life is completed,” said Steve Romines, a lawyer for Walker.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said the city will pay the Taylor's estate $12 million and institute police reforms, as part of a legal settlement with her family. In August, the Justice Department charged four current and former police officers in connection with Taylor’s death. Prosecutors accused the officers of several crimes, including lying to obtain the no-knock warrant and then staging a coverup. While seeking the warrant, police said a drug suspect had been receiving packages at Taylor’s apartment. Police didn’t find any drugs, and the warrant was later found to be flawed. The Justice Department has launched a broader civil-rights investigation into the police department's conduct. In his lawsuits, Walker sought damages related to allegations that police fabricated evidence to obtain the warrant and used excessive force. In March 2021, a judge dismissed charges against Walker for shooting an officer. In 2021, Kentucky lawmakers limited the use of no-knock warraants.