(Louisville) Police in the city of Louisville, in the heartland of the United States, have repeatedly resorted to excessive use of force and other illegal, discriminatory and even racist practices, a resounding federal investigation concluded on Wednesday. .
This report comes in the wake of the March 13 homicide of Breonna Taylor, a Louisville hospital emergency department worker who was shot and killed by at least eight bullets in her own apartment. 2020.
The fate of Mme Taylor, a 26-year-old African-American, sparked national outrage and her name was chanted in protests that rocked the United States during the massive protest against racism and police brutality in 2020, in reaction to the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The report of the federal authorities, written after two years of investigations, was unveiled Wednesday in Louisville, the largest city in Kentucky, by the American Minister of Justice Merrick Garland, who came specially from Washington.
In its conclusions, his ministry denounces the “aggressive policing practices” of the police in Louisville, “implemented selectively, in particular against black people”.
“Police have filmed themselves throwing drinks at pedestrians from their cars, insulting people with disabilities or calling black people ‘monkeys’ or ‘animals'”, notes the inspection report .
Federal investigators also noted the misuse by officers in Louisville of police dogs or Taser-type stun guns. During arrests, they too often resort to strangulation to neutralize the suspects, they also accuse.
The report also deplores unjustified roadside checks, illegal searches and searches and repeated harassment of people from minorities.
“By behaving in this way, Louisville police have undermined their public safety mission and degraded their relationship with the residents they are meant to serve and protect,” Garland said.
