Virginia Governor ceremonially signed a law Monday that will prohibit police from using no-knock warrants, which allow police to enter and search a home without notifying residents (article available here). Under the new Virginia law, law enforcement officers must be recognizable and in uniform and give "audible notice" of their authority and purpose, "reasonably expected to be heard by occupants of such place to be searched prior to the execution of such search warrant."
"Breonna's Law," which passed in the General Assembly earlier this year, was inspired by Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black emergency medical technician, who police shot and killed in her Louisville apartment in March. The law is among several changes lawmakers passed in a special legislative session. They also voted to ban most police chokeholds and to give the attorney general the authority to investigate patterns or practices of misconduct.
Virginia is among several states to consider or pass no-knock bans, including Kentucky, New York, and Ohio.