Minneapolis death reopens conversations about law officers' use of no-knock warrants - KSLA

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — Following the death of Amir Locke in Minneapolis, KSLA News 12 looked into the local policies for no-knock warrants.

The agencies we talked to follow similar procedures.

A “no-knock warrant” is a warrant issued by a judge that allows law enforcement officers to enter a property without immediate prior notification of the residents, such as by knocking or ringing a doorbell, according to Louisiana state law.

Louisiana state law also says:

• A district judge must approve the use of a no-knock warrant;
• Law enforcement officers must “be recognizable and identifiable as a uniformed law enforcement officer and provide audible notice of his authority and purpose reasonably expected to be heard by occupants”;
• Officers must “read and give a copy of the search warrant to the person to be searched or the owner of the place to be searched”;
• If no one is home, they are to leave a copy of the search warrant; and,
• No-knock search warrants can only be exercised “from sunrise to sunset.” In other words, they must happen during the daylight hours.

With a no-knock warrant, officers do not have to announce themselves while opening (or crashing into a residence). However, they do have to verbally announce themselves while entering the threshold.

“We want (the searches) to be as safe as possible, both for our officers and everyone else involved,” Shreveport police Cpl. Christopher Bordelon said.

In the event the Police Department wants to exercise a no-knock warrant, he added, officers will need to specify their reasoning to a judge. From there, that judge will determine if “cause is there.”

Like Shreveport, the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office will use a no-knock warrant on a case-by-case basis.

Bossier sheriff’s Maj. Shawn Phillips said they are rarely used. And if they are used, the agency has to “believe the suspect will not cooperate” and may act out in a violent manner, which would put deputies at harm.

Agencies must also consider who may be inside at the time of the search, the criminal history of the suspect and other factors.

In September, the U.S. Justice Department announced a new policy limiting the use of no knock warrants.

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source: https://www.ksla.com/2022/02/07/minneapolis-death-reopens-conversations-about-law-officers-use-no-knock-warrants/

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