Pinellas sheriff clarifies policy on 'no-knock' warrants

LARGO, Fla. - Sheriff Bob Gualtieri outlined a big change to the written policy of how Pinellas County deputies serve search warrants.  

The change is in what’s called a “dynamic no-knock entry,” or when deputies have probable cause to use force, like kicking in someone’s door.   

The sheriff says his deputies will prioritize making an arrest of the suspect outside of the home first, before entering, and he wants more surveillance to know who else is inside before using force to enter.  

“Just going through the door because you can, and not because you should…doesn’t cut it,” Gualtieri said Tuesday afternoon.  

He says his deputies have been doing this for the last eight years but this new policy formalizes it in writing.   

“No amount of drugs, whether it’s a cop or a suspect, is worth losing their life over. It’s just not,” he said.  

The written change in Pinellas County comes after outrage and nationwide protests over the death of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky.   

Taylor died in March when officers conducted a "no-knock" warrant at her home as part of a drug investigation.  

Taylor’s boyfriend is accused of shooting officers, wounding one of them. Officers fired back, and Taylor was caught in the crossfire. No drugs were found in the home.