Atlanta police reforms rein in no-knock searches

ATLANTA — The police chief announced a wave of policy changes Tuesday, including closer supervision of no-knock warrants, in response to the shooting death of an elderly woman in a drug raid last fall.

Narcotics operations and no-knock warrants will require the approval of a rank higher than sergeant, Chief Richard J. Pennington said.

The department also will increase the number of narcotics officers and rotate them off narcotics duty every few years to prevent complacency, he said.

Pennington said the changes were necessary to protect citizens and officers in cases in which police relied upon the word of a confidential informant.

In November, police said an informant told them he bought drugs at the home of Kathryn Johnston, 88. She was killed and three plainclothes officers who entered her home with a no-knock warrant were wounded, and only a small amount of marijuana was found.