Louisville Police Union Denies DOJ ‘Pattern or Practice’ Findings Of Constitutional Violations

The U.S. Department of Justice released a report Wednesday alleging that the Louisville Metro Police Department and Louisville, Kentucky, city government engage a pattern or practice of conduct that violated people’s constitutional rights, particularly the rights of Black people, Louisville Courier Journal reports. The DOJ report comes three years after Breonna Taylor’s death at the hands of police in her apartment. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the two parties have agreed in principle to negotiate a consent decree with the DOJ

“This unacceptable and unconstitutional conduct erodes the community trust necessary for effective policing,” Garland said. “It is also an affront to the vast majority of officers who put their lives on the line to serve Louisville with honor. And it is an affront to the people of Louisville who deserve better.”

The River City Fraternal Order of Police defended the LMPD in a public statement questioning the report’s validity, accusing past administrations’ leadership failures for contributing to department issues and calling for further “dissection” of the report’s findings.