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Hundreds Of Protesters Gather For Amir Locke, A Black Man Killed In Minneapolis After A 'No-Knock' Warrant

Hundreds Of Protesters Gather For Amir Locke, A Black Man Killed In Minneapolis After A 'No-Knock' Warrant

Hot97 Staff
02/09/2022 12:00 AM EST
Amir Locke, 22, a Black man, was killed in Minneapolis during a "no-knock" SWAT raid on his apartment earlier this week.Locke was killed while on his couch. One day after the killing, police released the body cam footage. Reuters reports it shows Locke held "a gun as he twisted beneath a blanket on his sofa after being roused by officers moments before he was slain."Authorities said the officers were exercising a "no-knock" search warrant, which authorizes police to enter private property without first announcing their presence. The warrant was issued in relation to a homicide. However, Locke's name was not in the warrant, and Minneapolis police have acknowledged it's unclear how or whether he was connected to that investigation.Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Amelia Huffman said the county attorney's office is investigating. Law enforcement says the bodycam footage shows Locke's gun pointed toward officers when they opened fire. However, activists at the protest said, "Locke had a right to possess a weapon in his own home and was never [given a chance] to disarm himself in the chaotic moments as police stormed into his apartment without warning", according to the report. Since then, nearly 500 protesters have gathered in below-freezing temperatures to demand justice for Locke. In addition, protesters also want the dismissal and arrest of officers involved in the shooting and the resignation of the mayor and police chief.https://twitter.com/ByGeorgiaFort/status/1489983675714387970?s=20&t=t9wi9w2q15P7PSF00EvO1Qhttps://twitter.com/nickstreiff/status/1490091508011352068?s=20&t=t9wi9w2q15P7PSF00EvO1Qhttps://twitter.com/addiicted2a/status/1489601931362320384?s=20&t=t9wi9w2q15P7PSF00EvO1Q Protesters also want a true ban on no-knock warrants. Buzz Feed points out Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey was campaigning on a claim that he'd banned the use of "no-knock" search warrants by city police.Buzz Feed also notes, "in Minneapolis, officials didn't ban the use of no-knock warrants but instead required officers to announce their presence while executing them." When questioned about the confusion, Frey didn't answer the question directly but took "some" of the blame. Frey said, "Now, throughout a campaign and certainly as more and more outside groups begin weighing in, language got more casual, including my own, which did not reflect the complexity and nuance, and I own that," Frey is reportedly working on a new no-knock policy. We'll keep you updated.