Proposed Legislation Would Put Limits on No-Knock Warrants for Mich. Police

LANSING, MI – Lawmakers are considering a proposal to modify a controversial police policy that became part of the rallies and marches following police killings of Black people.

If approved, the bill would limit how agencies in Michigan execute search warrants.

No-knock warrants, according to at least one lawmaker, cannot be fully eliminated because of its need in some police responses.

However, a piece of legislation aims to make changes to no-knock warrants, which allows police to enter private premises without announcing their presence.

No-knock warrants garnered national attention when Grand Rapids native Breonna Taylor was shot and killed March 13, 2020, when Louisville Metro Police served a no-knock warrant at her apartment.

Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency room technician, was home with her boyfriend when the raid occurred. He fired a shot that hit an officer he thought was an intruder breaking into the apartment. Police fired multiple shots with five reportedly striking and killing Taylor.

Michigan lawmakers tried to pass a variation of bill packages in the months after Taylor’s death. Efforts idled for years.

Those efforts took a step forward in Lansing earlier this month when the Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety committee reported a police improvement bill package to the Michigan House floor.

One bill, Senate Bill 1094, would require police to get a warrant authorized by a judge saying there’s clear and compelling evidence that police can enter by force. Police wouldn’t need to wait for a signed warrant in some instances like kidnapping or human trafficking.

Law enforcement must also be in uniform when executing a no-knock warrant under the proposed bill.

The bills met with support from county sheriffs and police chiefs in Michigan.

“We know the verb reform means to make better,” Grand Rapids police Chief Eric Winstrom told the committee. “But officers across the country have been skeptical of changes. These bills make our profession more trusted.”

The Grand Rapids Police Department does not perform no-knock warrants.

However, some lawmakers oppose the package of bills saying, “bills would drastically limit police officers’ ability to do their jobs.”

Reps. Graham Filler, R-Duplain Township, Mike Mueller, R- Linden, Bob Bezotte, R- Howell, Mike Harris, R- Waterford, and Brian BeGole, R- Antrim Township, penned an opinion piece to the Detroit News expressing their distaste for the bills.

They are also members of the Michigan House Criminal Justice Committee.

“This package would embolden criminals by restricting law enforcement and making it harder for police to do their jobs protecting the communities they serve,” they wrote.

The bills will need a vote in the House and then a concurring vote in the Senate before they can be sent to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s desk for final approval.

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