More than a year after Louisville Police officers carried out a midnight raid on the apartment of Breonna Taylor that left her dead from a police shooting, the US Department of Justice announced that it would begin an investigation into the practices of the Louisville Metro Police Department, CNN reports.

Such federal reviews are undertaken when the DoJ finds evidence of widespread unlawful activity or abusive policing procedures.  It announced that it was conducting a similar investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department in the wake of the Derek Chauvin trial and the murder of George Floyd.

Taylor was in her home when police forcibly entered the apartment to execute a search warrant related to suspected criminal activity by an ex-boyfriend.  Not knowing that it was the police breaking down the apartment door, Taylor’s then-boyfriend fired one shot from a handgun that hit one of the two police officers entering the apartment, wounding him in the leg.  Police returned fire, striking and killing Taylor, who was unarmed.

A third police officer sprayed the apartment with gunfire from a patio through a sliding glass door that was blocked by curtains.  That officer has been charged with three counts of wanton endangerment because bullets that he fired went through a wall into a neighboring apartment where three people slept.

No officers were charged with killing the unarmed Taylor.

From the time of the incident, questions arose about the appropriateness of the warrant on Taylor’s home.  Taylor had reportedly not seen her ex-boyfriend in months, and the probable cause used to obtain the search warrant–a package containing drugs for the ex that was delivered to Taylor’s home–was non-existent.  Police found no illegal material in Taylor’s apartment.

The investigation by local authorities has also been scrutinized.  Officers initially had a no-knock warrant, but the “no-knock” nature was rescinded prior to the late night raid.  During a grand jury trial, prosecutors reportedly stressed the testimony of one neighbor who claimed he heard police announce themselves, but a dozen others and Taylor’s boyfriend testified they did not hear the police knock or announce themselves.

“It will determine whether LMPD engages in unconstitutional stops, searches and seizures, as well as whether the department unlawfully executes search warrants on private homes,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said while announcing the inquiry, adding that “it will also assess whether LMPD engages in discriminatory conduct on the basis of race, or fails to perform public services that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Investigation will include comprehensive review of the Louisville police department policies and training.”