"We are deeply sorry for Breonna's death," Louisville, KY Mayor Greg Fischer said on Tuesday.
Fischer announced a $12 million settlement has been reached with the estate of Breonna Taylor. The 26-year-old Taylor was killed by Louisville Metro Police Department officers when they obtained a "no knock" warrant at her home on March 13. It is the largest ever payout by the city for police misconduct.
Mayor Fischer announced major policy changes were coming as well, changes that he says will build "stronger community connections" between police and citizens they're pledged to protect. He will usher in a new program to include social workers on certain police runs where their presence could be helpful, and increase transparency for the work that officers do. He will require a commanding officer to approve any search warrant. Not all the new policies would be termed as police punishment. For instance, the reforms will issue credits to encourage officers to live in low income housing tracks and offer paid time for work in certain community groups.
After the city of Louisville reached a $12 million settlement in Breonna Taylor's wrongful death lawsuit, Mayor Greg Fischer announces reforms to the city's police department, such as funding for social workers to accompany officers on certain calls https://t.co/DbL8IbnXtY pic.twitter.com/jLWcJ0gdur
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) September 15, 2020
Taylor family attorney Lonita Parker explained that a civil settlement was "non-negotiable" without the promise of police reform.
"What we were able to accomplish is tremendous," Parker said, but it's only a portion of what they hope to achieve, because "justice for Breonna Taylor is multi-layered."
"The beauty of what happened today happens when we work together," Parker said.
Next steps?
"We know an indictment is coming from the grand jury," Parker said, followed by an indictment from the Department of Justice.
"Her beautiful spirit and personality is working through all of us on the ground," Taylor's mother Tamika Palmer said. "So please continue to say her name."
She and Breonna's sister agreed that it's time to move on criminal charges.