The city of Louisville has reached a $12 million settlement with the family of Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old Black woman who was shot and killed in her own home by plainclothes Louisville police officers in March.
Initial news of the deal came Tuesday morning, just over six months to the day that Taylor was killed. The New York Times and the Courier Journal first reported the specific amount of the settlement, which was already thought to be a multimillion-dollar deal.
The deal is the largest settlement that the city has paid in a police misconduct case, shattering the previous top figure of $8.5 million, according to the Courier Journal.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer (D) and Taylor family attorneys, including prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, announced details on the deal at a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
“I’m here today, with the family of Breonna Taylor, to announce that Louisville Metro Government has settled a civil lawsuit with her estate,” Fischer said. “We must have transparency and accountability for the work that our officers do.”
Fischer described the police reforms that are part of the agreement, notably, how no-knock warrants — the technique that led to Taylor’s death — are issued…