Knock-knock: Who’s There Can Mean Life or Death

Student Illustrator: Karla Capellan

Student Author: Connor Worth

In the wake of continuing protests by Black Lives Matter and similar movements, there has been a much wider discussion over the policies, techniques, and tactics that our law enforcement officers employ and our criminal justice system encourages. One that has been increasingly discussed is the “no-knock warrant”. A tactic that is supposed to be used in solely special circumstances, such as when there is a high likelihood that the officers involved will get injured or the evidence may destroyed by the suspect. This tactic received nationwide notoriety after the death of Breonna Taylor, a young African-American woman who was shot by white police officers after they had used a no-knock warrant to enter her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker’s house. Although the details of the incident itself are disputed, the fact that the no-knock warrant was used that led to her death are undeniable. Overall, there are quite a few different viewpoints and arguments for and against limited and special use of the no-knock warrants. Although wide use of the tactic is definitely likely to lead to more tragedies like that of Breonna Taylor.   

This is part of the 2021 Annual Poster Session, a collaboration between the Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice Department and the Media Arts and Technologies Department, featuring work by social science and illustration students.