Sherri Onica Valle Cole: Say Her Name, Breonna Taylor.

FOR RELEASE March 4, 2022

CONTACT: GERSON A. PERRYMAN-LIAHUT

(626) 657-8553

Sherri Onica Valle Cole: Say Her Name, Breonna Taylor.

Los Angeles, March 3, 2022 - A jury in Louisville, Ky has found Ex-Officer Hankison not guilty on all charges in relation to the death of Breonna Taylor.

On March 13, 2020 police officers forcibly entered Breonna Taylor’s apartment executing a “no-knock” warrant, which permits the entering and conducting of searches without having to identify themselves as law enforcement. This warrant ultimately led to the death of Breonna Taylor.

No-Knock warrants have been widely popular since 1970 due to the “war on drugs” rhetoric. The intention behind a “no-knock” warrant is to ensure that illicit drugs or evidence do not go missing and the sought-out individual does not flee. However, over the years, the injustices of “no-knock” warrants have put both law-abiding residents and police officers in unnecessary danger. The American Civil Liberties Union approximates that 20,000 no-knock warrants are conducted by police each year and that their use per year has increased from just a few hundred in 1972 to 3,000 in the early 1980s, to 30,000 in 1996, to 40,000 in 2001.

Thankfully the Los Angeles Police Department does not use “no-knock” warrants. However, we have a long way to go before issues of excessive force and police brutality end. The nation’s eyes are on the Los Angeles Police Department. If we lead correctly and justly, they will follow suit.

It’s time we steer law enforcement in a direction that serves all of Los Angeles. It’s time we prioritize issues surrounding restoring public trust and assurance in the city attorney's office. That’s why I am running to be the next Los Angeles City Attorney.

Sherri Onica Valle Cole

Candidate for Los Angeles City Attorney

Paid for by Sherri Onica Valle Cole for City Attorney, 1 W. Manchester Blvd. Suite 700

Inglewood, CA 90301 Additional information is available at ethics.lacity.org

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