Criminal Procedure

Knock-and-Announce

Generally, officers must knock and announce their presence when entering a home while executing a warrant. However, courts apply a reasonableness test to this requirement which allows exceptions for several reasons where knocking and announcing would cause more harm than good:

• Exigent circumstances
• HP
• Officer safety
• Preventing the destruction of evidence

Note that the exclusionary rule does not apply to evidence obtained in violation of the knock-and-announce rule anyway.