US officers lied to obtain search warrant that led to Breonna Taylor’s death

US police officers allegedly lied to obtain a controversial no-knock search warrant that led to the death of black woman Breonna Taylor and then tried to cover it up, the US justice department has said.

Four men were on Thursday charged with civil rights offences, unlawful conspiracy, making false statements, unconstitutional use of force and obstruction over the botched raid of Taylor’s Louisville, Kentucky home in March 2020.

“We allege that these offences resulted in Miss Taylor’s death,” Merrick Garland, the attorney general, said. “Breonna Taylor should be alive today.”

The 26-year-old Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were sleeping in her apartment around midnight on March 13, 2020 when they heard a noise at the door.

Mr Walker said police battered down the door unannounced. The officers insisted they had identified themselves.

Believing it was a break-in, Mr Walker fired his gun, injuring one police officer.

Police fired more than 30 shots back, fatally wounding Taylor.

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