Omaha police chief explains changes to no-knock search warrant policy

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – The 2020 no-knock warrant that led to the killing of Breonna Taylor by Louisville, Kentucky police left a lasting impression on the Omaha Police Department.

“After the tragedy in Omaha, the Omaha Police Department made two changes,” said Police Chief Todd Schmaderer.

One such change is that action is not always taken immediately upon entry.

“We’re doing something called a breach and hold,” Chief Schmaderer said. “And that means we’re going to break down the door without knocking, we’re going to give loud verbal commands and we’re just going to stay there.”

In the case of Breonna Taylor, officers were accused of firing indiscriminately into her home after a no-knock search warrant was issued for her boyfriend. The 26-year-old paramedic was shot multiple times, while her boyfriend was not injured.

In the case of Wednesday’s fatal shooting in Omaha, police said their approach was different this time.

“We did what we call a limited penetration because of the threat level associated with this location,” Chief Schmaderer said.

According to OPD, Cameron Ford’s criminal history put him at a threat rating of 80. Once he reaches a threat rating of 25 or more, the individual is processed by OPD’s SWAT team.

The second change concerns who decides whether the use of weapons is necessary.

“If it was just about destroying evidence, the deputy chief. Someone right next to me would make that decision for this 900-person agency. If it was about officer safety, I would delegate it to the captain. Before, it could be done by a lower-ranking superior.”

Chief Schamderer said these changes have led to a reduction in officer-involved shootings in Omaha and he wants to keep it that way.

“That’s the progress that got us here today. I’ll take a closer look at it to see if there’s anything else we can do to prevent this from happening again.”

Chief Schmaderer said he is also considering installing helmet cameras for SWAT officers.

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