In 2020, the killing of both George Floyd and Breonna Taylor sparked many protests, and also sparked something else in the world. Certain cities issued a no-knock warrant, which permits law enforcement officers to enter without announcing their presence or knocking. In the killing of Breona Taylor, the police did say that they announced their presence and knocked. For lack of a better word, it’s stupid because many domestic disputes and disturbances involve black individuals. At a young age, black kids had to be sat down and spoken about how to deal with the police. I was spared that talk, but I know exactly what to do. Police in general scare me. Being a person of color, it is normal to fear police officers whether they did something or not. Being in a predominantly white home, I hear talks about money, family and other things. But what runs through my mind when I hear them arguing over bills and stuff is that there are worse things than an unpaid bill.
Growing up black in America, a no-knock warrant scares me. Just recently, another black person who had legally owned a gun was shot in his home while behind a couch. And he did all the right things. He researched, he got help. It is sad to me that people of color, especially black Americans, have to buy guns for protection because the world is telling us we don’t matter. That we will never get a good job, we’ll never get a degree in college. We’ll never be heroes and we’ll always be the killers and villains in the stories.
The no-knock warrant was first issued in 1970 during the presidency of Richard Nixon, and gained momentum under the presidency of Ronald Regan in the ‘80s. It is associated with the militarization of police. The use of this warrant is a product of the country’s “war on drugs.” The no-knock warrant may be issued in every state except for Oregon, Florida and Virginia. The no-knock warrant is not present in Massachusetts but is only used in dangerous situations. The government must show enough evidence to convince a judge or a clerk that law enforcement executing the warrant is going into a dangerous situation. Maybe that’s true for all states, but in the last year, Minneapolis police have used this warrant, and so has Louisville, Kentucky. Two black people have been killed because of this warrant as well.
Additionally, some states have chosen to enact the Breonna Taylor Law, which prohibits the no knock warrant. Taylor’s home state of Kentucky has not. It was filed in 2021 for legislation, but has not gone that far. This warrant is another thing for white police officers and white people to abuse their privilege and power. Instead, the state decided to issue a bill 4 that does not outlaw the no-knock warrant, but restricts how and when it can be used. Since Admir Locke’s death, a 22 year old black man was fatally shot and killed in an apartment on a couch holding a gun. Video of the tragedy has recently been released.
Just like the bomb threats at the HBCUs during the first week of black history month, the death of Admir Locke is not a coicidence. First, it was Geroge Floyd, then it was Breona Taylor and now it’s Admir Locke. There is a pattern. Everything comes in threes. Before it was Dante Wright, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. In 1955 it was Emmett Till. In 2015, it was Sandra Bland, which was the same year as Eric Garner. In every generation, at least three black people are killed due to police not treating them like humans. Although he hurt white people and not people of color, Kyle Rittenhouse still got off without any kind of arrest or jail time. The day that white people call the police on friendly gatherings with their black or brown friends. And the day that police take accountability for their actions and finally go to jail for the unlawful and unjust assumptions that lead to so many blakc people’s death, if they are 14 or in their 50s. What gives them the right, the day that regular white people stop taking the law in their hands and take accountability for their actions is the day that reform will happen.
What gives police the right to use the no-knock warrant and shoot an innocent black man? It doesn’t matter if you do the research. If you go to people and get help on the use of guns. If white people and police can use the Second Amendment rights, why can’t black and brown people stress their Second Amendment rights? It doesn’t matter if the rule on the no- knock warrant is to use it in certain situations. Police will alway find a way to find an excuse to hurt black people. Just people whose parents were racist and oppressors. Do they really have to be that? At least half of the world’s human population will turn into their parents. Kids of those parents and kids of those parents break the legacy. Additionally, not all police are bad. Just the ones who abuse power and use it to oppress others.
Fun fact – In Alabama, they honored the first black student, and renamed a building after her called Lucy Foster’s Hall. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to have it named after her. And they decided to put a former Ku Klux Klan leader next to her. A lot of people are outraged. Things should change. Instead of honoring her, they are destroying the legacy by having a KKK leader next to her.
“Never believe you are better than anyone else but always believe you can be anyone’s equal.”
— Cynthia Cowan