NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 15, 2021) – On Monday, the Tennessee Senate passed a bill that would prohibit “no-knock” warrants and take a step toward nullifying several Supreme Court opinions in practice and effect.
Sen. Mike Bell (R-Riceville) introduced Senate Bill 1380 (SB1380) on Feb. 11. The legislation would make several police reforms, including a ban on so-called “no-knock” warrants. Under the proposed law, a magistrate would be prohibited from issuing a search warrant, “which expressly authorizes a peace officer to dispense with the requirement to knock and announce the peace officer’s presence prior to execution of the warrant.”
The proposed law would also place limits on police use of choke-holds, require Tennessee law enforcement agencies to develop policies on de-escalation, and institute reporting requirements relating to the use of force.
Bill Rinehart / WVXU
The police shooting of Black men culminating with the death of 19-year-old Timothy Thomas sparked days of civil unrest in Cincinnati in 2001. Protests, in some cases, turned destructive. More than 800 people were arrested for violating a curfew imposed by the mayor. An economic boycott put a financial dent in Downtown events.
This all happened two decades ago after Thomas was shot and killed while running from police. He was wanted for several nonviolent misdemeanors, most of which were traffic citations, reports say.
But the narrative of what happened to Thomas is familiar: Black men, teens and women, many of them unarmed, being killed by police at higher rates than any other race.
Two area state legislators are split on their views of a series of identical bills that would effectively put an end to a police departmentâs use of no-knock entries in Texas.
According to legislative records, the first bill to be filed was Senate Bill 175 on Nov. 10, 2020, authored by Sen. Borris Miles, D-Houston. Sen. Juan âChuyâ Hinojosa, D-McAllen, has been added as a co-author.
In January, four representatives â Reps. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas; Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City; Jeff Cason, R-Bedford and James Talarico, D-Round Rock â filed House Bill 1272.
Both bills would prevent a judge from issuing a warrant that would authorize a no-knock entry.
Renk Podcast: Matt Saxton Director Of Michigan s Sheriff Assoc wkmi.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wkmi.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
MADISON, Wisc. (March 17, 2021) – A bill introduced in the Wisconsin House would prohibit “no-knock” warrants and take a step toward nullifying several Supreme Court opinions in practice and effect.
A coalition of 24 Democrats introduced House Bill 137 (AB137) on March 5. The legislation would require law enforcement officers executing a search warrant to identify themselves as law enforcement officers and announce the authority and purpose of the entry in all situations. Under current law, police can serve a warrant without knocking if, at the time the warrant is executed, the law enforcement officer has a reasonable suspicion that knocking and announcing will be dangerous or futile or will inhibit the effective investigation of the crime.