The Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) and the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro government were found to be engaging in a pattern of unconstitutional behavior by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in a wide-ranging investigation. The report identified abuses that included using excessive force, conducting searches based on invalid warrants and unlawful discrimination against Black people.

The probe was conducted by the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ in the aftermath of the shooting death of Breonna Taylor in 2020, and was the first investigation announced under the Biden administration in 2021. LMPD officers used racial slurs against citizens, violated the rights of those “engaged in protected speech critical of policing” and failed to provide officers and other employees the resources needed to do their jobs effectively and lawfully.

The charge comes just months after four LMPD officers were federally charged in August 2020 for violating Breonna Tayor’s civil rights. The report emphasized