TONIGHT WERE BACK TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CHANGE HERE COULD LOOK LIKE.
LOUISVILLE IS A CITY
DESPERATELY IN SEARCH
OF A WAY TO HEAL.
A NEW CHIEF DETERMINED
TO EMBRACE AND LEAD
CHANGE IN A BROKEN
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
DO YOU THINK THERES A
CONNECTION BETWEEN
POLICING AND RACISM?
>> OH, I KNOW THERE
IS.
I MEAN, I EMPLOY HUMAN
BEINGS.
THEY COME TO THE
TABLE, THEY DEVELOP
INHERENT BIASES.
DATA SUPPORTS THAT ALL
DAY LONG.
NOW, I THINK ITS
IMPORTANT TO
DISTINGUISH THAT
THATS NOT SAYING
POLICE ARE RACIST.
I THINK THAT WHAT
HAPPENS IS WE FOCUS ON
THE END RESULT AND NOT
THE PROCESS.
>> Reporter: A
GRIEVING MOTHER
DETERMINED NOT TO
ALLOW HER DAUGHTERS
DEATH AT THE HANDS OF
POLICE GO UNPUNISHED.
>> I WANT THESE
OFFICERS TO BE CHARGED
FOR HER MURDER BECAUSE
THATS EXACTLY WHAT IT
WAS.
>> Reporter: AS THE
NATION WAS SHUTTING
DOWN FROM COVID 14
MONTHS AGO, WHAT
HAPPENED HERE IN MARCH
2020 STOPPED
LOUISVILLE IN ITS
TRACKS.
THE SHOOTING DEATH OF
BREONNA TAYLOR, AN
INNOCENT 26-YEAR-OLD
WOMAN, GUNNED DOWN BY
POLICE IN HER OWN HOME
AS THEY EXECUTED A
NO-KNOCK WARRANT.
IT HAPPENED AFTER
TAYLORS BOYFRIEND
FIRED FIRST, THINKING
THEY WERE INTRUDERS.
>> BREONNA TAYLOR!
>> Reporter: THE
TRAGEDY EXPOSING A
FESTERING WOUND IN
THIS CITY.
TODAY ITS POLICE
DEPARTMENT UNDER A
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
INVESTIGATION FOCUSED
ON WHETHER LOUISVILLE
METRO POLICE HAVE
ENGAGED IN SYSTEMATIC
AND UNLAWFUL BEHAVIOR.
>> IT WILL ALSO ASSESS
WHETHER LMPD ENGAGES
IN DISCRIMINATORY
CONDUCT ON THE BASIS
OF RACE.
>> Reporter: UNDER NOT
JUST THE SPOTLIGHT OF
LOUISVILLE BUT THE
ENTIRE NATION ERIKA
SHIELDS WAS HIRED TO
LEAD LOUISVILLE POLICE
IN JANUARY.
HER HIRING
CONTROVERSIAL DUE TO
THE POLICE-INVOLVED
SHOOTING OF RASHARD
BROOKS IN ATLANTA,
WHERE SHE SERVED AS
POLICE CHIEF AND
RESIGNED.
SHIELDS IS A
SELF-DESCRIBED
REFORMER WHO WELCOMES
THE FEDERAL
INVESTIGATION.
>> SO THEYVE COME TO
LOOK AT PATTERNS AND
PRACTICES.
I THINK THATS
FANTASTIC.
THAT BEING SAID, ITS
REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME
THAT WHEN THEY
CONCLUDE THEIR REPORT
IN SIX OR NINE MONTHS
WE HAVE THINGS ON
TRACK AND CAN STAND
BEHIND THE WORK THAT
WERE DOING.
>> Reporter: BUT SOME
SAY THE TENSION AND
DISTRUST HAS LONG
EXISTED, FUELED BY
DECADES OF RACISM AND
SEGREGATION.
THIS IS THE 9th STREET
DIVIDE.
THERES NO SIGNAGE
MARKING IT, BUT ITS
KNOWN TO LOCAL
RESIDENTS AS A
PHYSICAL AND ECONOMIC
SEPARATION OF WEST
LOUISVILLE, A MOSTLY
BLACK COMMUNITY, FROM
THE REST OF THE CITY,
A SYMBOLIC RACIAL
DIVIDE.
IN LOUISVILLE BLACK
RESIDENTS REPRESENT
21% OF THE POPULATION
BUT WERE INVOLVED IN
AROUND 50% OF THE
POLICE USE OF FORCE
INCIDENTS.
IT APPEARS YOURE
GOING TO HAVE TO
RECONCILE THE BREONNA
TAYLOR DEATH.
THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
DECLINED TO PROSECUTE
ANYONE DIRECTLY IN HER
KILLING.
HOW DO YOU MOVE PAST
THAT?
>> BREONNA TAYLORS
DEATH IS SICKENING.
I SINCERELY HOPE THAT
THE FBI IN THEIR
INVESTIGATION MIGHT
CLOSE SOME OF THE GAP
HERE.
I HAVE VERY REAL
CONCERNS ABOUT HOW THE
WARRANT WAS DRAWN UP.
BECAUSE I DO THINK
ITS A MISCARRIAGE OF
JUSTICE IF YOU CAN BE
IN YOUR RESIDENCE,
SHOT AND KILLED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND NO ONE
IS -- NO ONES HELD
ACCOUNTABLE FOR IT.
>> Reporter: TAMIKA
PALMER, BREONNA
TAYLORS MOM, IS STILL
FIGHTING FOR
ACCOUNTABILITY.
NONE OF THE THREE
OFFICERS INVOLVED WAS
CHARGED IN TAYLORS
DEATH.
THE ONLY INDICTMENT,
FOR SHOTS THAT WENT
INTO A NEIGHBORS
WALL.
AT THE SPEED ART
MUSEUM "PROMISE
WITNESS REMEMBRANCE"
REFLECTS ON THE LIFE
OF TAYLOR AND THE
MOVEMENT THAT
FOLLOWED.
PALMER HELPED CREATE
THE EXHIBIT.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT
THIS PORTRAIT?
>> EVERYTHING.
>> Reporter: DO YOU
HOPE THAT MAYBE IN
SOME WAY BREONNAS
DEATH AND POLICE
REFORMS HERE COULD BE
A MODEL?
>> DEFINITELY.
I THINK THAT
THE WAY THAT THIS
THING HAS PLAYED OUT
IN FRONT OF THE WORLD
PEOPLE WILL DEFINITELY
HAVE TO USE THIS
SITUATION TO MAKE
THINGS BETTER
EVERYWHERE.
>> Reporter: CHIEF
SHIELDS IS PAVING A
PATH FORWARD.
>> THIS POLICE
DEPARTMENT HAS AN
EXTREMELY STRONG
CULTURE AND POSITIVE
CULTURE.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE
PRACTICES THAT ARE
BROKEN.
THERE ARE GOOD PEOPLE
HERE.
WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
WE HAVE TO DO THINGS