Fatal police shooting of Amir Locke in no-knock raid in Minnesota

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Minneapolis police have released body camera footage showing the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old Black man earlier this week during a no-knock warrant, a case that has raised tensions in the city and renewed scrutiny upon local law enforcement.

Amir Locke was fatally shot by a SWAT team officer with the Minneapolis Police Department as they carried out a warrant at 6:48 a.m. Wednesday in the 1100 block of Marquette Ave South, police said.

The warrant was related to a homicide investigation out of St. Paul, Minnesota, according to police.

“Mr. Locke was not named in the original search warrant and so at this point it is unclear if or how he is connected to St. Paul’s investigation," Minneapolis Police Department Interim Chief Amelia Huffman said in a news conference Thursday.

www.nbcnews.com

Minneapolis police release body camera footage of fatal shooting of Black man, 22, during no-knock warrant

Amir Locke was fatally shot by a SWAT team officer during an early morning no-knock raid Wednesday. Police said he was shot after officers saw he had a gun in his hand.
www.nbcnews.com www.nbcnews.com
 
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Kimster said:
I’m going to wait until we have more details before I form an opinion, but I still have to wonder why they have these no knock warrants? I’ve never heard of them until recently. I guess they’ve been around forever? I don’t know. They don’t sound like a good idea in my book.
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They have been around forever here. I can't speak for other places though. I think the victims are either just now finding their voices and/or video has given them actual proof that it has actually happened. I think it was covered up quietly for a long, long time.
 
daisy7 said:
It was his residence, but his name wasn't on the warrant.
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So, it was not his residence. :unsure:

Family members and local activists say Locke did not live at the building, was not named on the warrant and had a permit to carry a firearm.

MPD Chief Huffman confirmed one of those allegations, saying that Locke was not named on the initial warrant that was issued for three different units inside the Bolero Flats building.

www.mncrime.com

Bodycam Video Released in Fatal Minneapolis Police Shooting of Amir Locke — MNCRIME.com

The Minneapolis Police Department early Thursday evening released body-worn camera video of the fatal police shooting of Amir Rahkare Locke, 22, during a SWAT team warrant service at a downtown apartment building shortly before 7 a.m. yesterday.
www.mncrime.com www.mncrime.com
 
Guess Who said:
Serving any warrant can go sideways instantly, but yes, they "should" be safer in theory.
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From a LE family I can tell you knock/no knock warrants are carried out daily across the US by highly skilled persons. More people die in car accidents than in these SWAT missions. The media is making this into something bigger so just be mindful that no one has all of the facts yet.

All we know is a young man was shot in an apartment during the execution of a warrant because he had a gun in his hand. The rest has yet to be made public.
 
www.businessinsider.com

The same judge who presided over Derek Chauvin's trial signed the no-knock warrant that led to Amir Locke's death: report

Local outlets reported that St. Paul police initially requested a "knock and announce" warrant, but Minneapolis police insisted on changing it.
www.businessinsider.com www.businessinsider.com

The warrant was tied to a St. Paul police homicide investigation and carried out by Minneapolis police.

WCCO reported St. Paul police said the warrant is under seal since it's part of an ongoing homicide investigation but sources familiar with the warrant told the outlet Cahill signed off on it.

Additionally, KARE 11 reported the warrant was initially meant to be a "knock-and-announce" warrant and that St. Paul police asked the Minneapolis Police Department to help them carry out that warrant, but MPD insisted the warrant be changed to a no-knock warrant.

(snip)

Police said Locke was not the target of the warrant. It's not clear who the target is, but Fox9 reported a previous tenant of the apartment Locke was in had threatened police.
 
daisy7 said:
www.businessinsider.com

The same judge who presided over Derek Chauvin's trial signed the no-knock warrant that led to Amir Locke's death: report

Local outlets reported that St. Paul police initially requested a "knock and announce" warrant, but Minneapolis police insisted on changing it.
www.businessinsider.com www.businessinsider.com

The warrant was tied to a St. Paul police homicide investigation and carried out by Minneapolis police.

WCCO reported St. Paul police said the warrant is under seal since it's part of an ongoing homicide investigation but sources familiar with the warrant told the outlet Cahill signed off on it.

Additionally, KARE 11 reported the warrant was initially meant to be a "knock-and-announce" warrant and that St. Paul police asked the Minneapolis Police Department to help them carry out that warrant, but MPD insisted the warrant be changed to a no-knock warrant.

(snip)

Police said Locke was not the target of the warrant. It's not clear who the target is, but Fox9 reported a previous tenant of the apartment Locke was in had threatened police.
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So St. Paul it would seem wanted a knock and announce warrant but MPD insisted it be changed to a no knock warrant and apparently requested a no knock warrant or changed an initial one/got a new one by signed by a Minneapolis judge. I wonder why. All I can figure is since it was in Mpls. jurisdiction, they maybe knew the tenant or area and activities and wanted their officers safe or for the tenant to have no chance to attack or flee...

They seem to make it crystal clear the dead young man was not the target of the warrant. It is still unclear though why he was in the residence or if MPD thought their target still lived there but he did not or something... The man was on a couch so he could have been visiting or sharing the apartment.

Much still remains to be seen. The man did point a gun at the cops so I do understand the cops shooting. However, was there enough cause for a no knock warrant and why was one type wanted by one department but a decision by another department to seek a no knock...
 
kdg411 said:
www.startribune.com

17-year-old charged in homicide that prompted no-knock warrant, Amir Locke's killing by Minneapolis police

The teen, Locke's cousin, had access to the apartment that police raided and where an officer shot Locke, according to the charges.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com
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This one doesn't prompt a sign up.

www.wctrib.com

UPDATED: Amir Locke’s cousin charged in homicide investigation that led to Minneapolis police shooting

On Monday, members of the Southwest Metro Task Force, Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement Team and St. Paul police Special Investigations Unit arrested the 17-year-old at about 3:45 p.m. in Winona, Minnesota, according to police.
www.wctrib.com www.wctrib.com
 
I believe it was asked earlier about the crime rate in this area so here's a link to the Saint Paul crime statistics.

Crime Statistics

Crime Analysis Information About Crime Analysis Crime Definitions Demographics Information Request Policy Police Locations and Police Grid Reference Map Cr
www.stpaul.gov www.stpaul.gov

Another source is Sant Paul Police Department on twitter
 
kdg411 said:
www.startribune.com

17-year-old charged in homicide that prompted no-knock warrant, Amir Locke's killing by Minneapolis police

The teen, Locke's cousin, had access to the apartment that police raided and where an officer shot Locke, according to the charges.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com
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Speed and Locke are cousins, according to the charging document, which also revealed that Speed was living in a different unit of the Bolero Flats Apartment Homes, at 1117 S. Marquette Av., in downtown Minneapolis but also had access to the apartment where police barged in on Feb. 2 and shot Locke as he held a gun.

(snip)
As their investigation progressed last week, St. Paul police filed standard applications for search warrant affidavits for three Bolero Flats apartments. But detectives were forced to resubmit the requests after Minneapolis police insisted on a no-knock entry.

MPD would not have agreed to execute the search in its jurisdiction otherwise, according to a law enforcement source who spoke on the condition of anonymity. St. Paul police rarely execute no-knock warrants because they are considered high-risk. The capital city police force has not served such a warrant since 2016, said department spokesman Steve Linders.
Locke, who was not a target of the investigation, was sleeping in the apartment of relatives when members of a Minneapolis police SWAT team burst in shortly before 7 a.m.
Footage from one of the officers' body cameras showed police quietly unlocking the apartment door with a key before barging inside, yelling "Search warrant!" as Locke lay under a blanket on the couch. An officer kicked the couch, Locke stirred, holding a firearm in his right hand. He was shot by officer Mark Hanneman within seconds.
 
This happened where I live last week. The man wasn't killed, but was arrested for attempted murder on an officer. Most probably know I am not a gun owner and try to reduce gun violence. It just comes back to "who is the good guy with a gun?" Can a licensed gun owner defend themselves from what they think is an intruder? Most likely, charges will be dropped cuz of SYG.

weartv.com

Police: Search warrant was part of downtown Pensacola shooting investigation

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Pensacola Police said Monday the search warrant last week that resulted in an officer-involved shooting was in relation to a shooting near downtown Pensacola in January. The downtown Pensacola shooting took place around 3 a. m. on Jan. 22 atPalafox and Garden streets. Police...
weartv.com weartv.com
 
daisy7 said:
This happened where I live last week. The man wasn't killed, but was arrested for attempted murder on an officer. Most probably know I am not a gun owner and try to reduce gun violence. It just comes back to "who is the good guy with a gun?" Can a licensed gun owner defend themselves from what they think is an intruder? Most likely, charges will be dropped cuz of SYG.

weartv.com

Police: Search warrant was part of downtown Pensacola shooting investigation

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Pensacola Police said Monday the search warrant last week that resulted in an officer-involved shooting was in relation to a shooting near downtown Pensacola in January. The downtown Pensacola shooting took place around 3 a. m. on Jan. 22 atPalafox and Garden streets. Police...
weartv.com weartv.com
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I'd be interested in seeing the probable cause warrant that authorized this. The SWAT team would be called in only if LE deemed this to be a volatile situation that required special tactical operations.
 
RoundPeg said:
Does anyone know if he lived in a high crime area? No opinions either, but this begs the question why he was sleeping with a gun.
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It's downtown Minneapolis. Marquette Ave. They are nice apts. Rent starts at a little over $1200.00. The apartments in that area are nice and pretty pricey. They have nice ammenities too.
 
I'm so tired of every case is automatically called racist. Stop already! Don't call it before you see it!!! 3 times now. This is absolutely NOT my Minnesota. And alot of natives of the state feel the same.
 
But there is the same reaction as any other case when the person is black. Racism before the facts are in. We have another social unrest situation here AGAIN!
 
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