The police did knock, and did announce themselves. Then, an accomplice of the dead Breanna, shot at the cops.
Yes, that is what I have heard as well, although there is dispute among witnesses as to whether they actually announced who they were.
I was writing of no-knock warrants generally, which are overused and have lead to a number of unnecessary deaths over the years, including deaths of innocent people, like the couple killed in Houston a couple years ago.
It does appear that a no-knock warrant was issued unnecessarily in this case, even if it was not executed without knocking. Also, there does not appear to have been any good reason to execute this warrant with a forced entry after midnight, which carries its own risks. As the commenter to whom I was replying pointed out, anyone might reach for their gun when they hear someone pounding on their door in the middle of the night.
Dynamic entry into someone’s home should be rare and reserved for the most extraordinary circumstances. There is no reason to use it for a routine narcotics investigation. Even the National Tactical Officers Association has agreed with this.