Minneapolis, Minnesota: MPD Officer Mark Hanneman Fatally Shoots Amir Locke Asleep on Couch At Downtown Apt. Building

[Democide]

Chief: MPD Officer Fatally Shoots Man Holding Handgun At Downtown Apt. Building

2 February 2022

Minneapolis police say an officer shot and killed a man holding a handgun while executing a search warrant at a downtown apartment building Wednesday morning. While officials have yet to release the man’s name, community leaders say the person killed was Amir Locke, a Black man. Relatives posted to social media saying he was licensed to carry a gun. Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Amelia Huffman said during a late morning press conference that the shooting happened as department’s SWAT team was assisting the St. Paul Police Department’s homicide unit at the time. Huffman said it was part of an ongoing ...

 

[Democide]

Police Video Shows Man Shot by Officer Was on Couch, Had Gun
Body camera footage released by the Minneapolis Police Department shows a Black man who was fatally shot as officers were executing a search warrant was wrapped in a blanket and displayed a handgun as they shouted at him to show his hands and get on the ground.

3 February 2022

A Black man who was fatally shot by Minneapolis police as they were executing a search warrant in a homicide investigation was wrapped in a blanket on a couch when SWAT officers entered the apartment, and displayed a handgun as they shouted at him to show his hands and get on the ground, according to police body camera video released Thursday. Police identified the man on Thursday as 22-year-old Amir Locke. The Minneapolis Police Department said in a statement Wednesday that he had pointed a loaded gun “in the direction of officers." An incident report said he had two wounds ...

https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2022-02-03/activist-man-killed-by-police-didnt-live-in-raided-flat

 

[Democide]

Parents: Amir Locke 'executed'; mayor halts no-knock entries

4 February 2022

The Minneapolis mayor imposed a moratorium on no-knock warrants Friday, two days after a SWAT team entered a downtown apartment and killed Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man who his parents said was “executed” after he was startled from a deep sleep and reached for a legal firearm to protect himself. Mayor Jacob Frey said while the moratorium is in place, he and police leadership will review and revise department policy with the help of two experts who helped shape Breonna’s Law, the ban on no-knock warrants that was imposed in Louisville, Kentucky, following the death of Breonna Taylor in ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/activist-man-killed-by-police-didnt-live-in-raided-flat/2022/02/03/9f8aa19e-8527-11ec-951c-1e0cc3723e53_story.html

 

[Democide]

Minneapolis police insisted on 'no knock' warrant that led to Amir Locke's shooting death; city announces moratorium
Also, a gun rights group says Locke was acting in self-defense and his being killed by police was "completely avoidable."

5 February 2022

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Friday placed a moratorium on no-knock warrants, following mounting community outrage over the predawn raid that ended in the shooting death of 22-year-old Amir Locke. "No matter what information comes to light, it won't change the fact that Amir Locke's life was cut short," Frey said in a statement. "To ensure safety of both the public and officers until a new policy is crafted, I'm issuing a moratorium on both the request and execution of such warrants in Minneapolis." The moratorium will remain in place pending a review of the MPD's policy led by Prof. ...

Minneapolis police insisted on 'no knock' warrant that led to Amir Locke's shooting death; city announces moratorium

Officers were at the downtown Minneapolis apartment unit to serve a search warrant in connection with a St. Paul homicide investigation. Locke was not the subject of the warrant.

www.startribune.com

 

[Democide]

Amir Locke's Death Should Incense Anyone Who Cares About Gun Rights
The 22-year-old man was shot by a Minneapolis police officer during the execution of a no-knock warrant on which he was not named.

4 February 2022

An officer with the Minneapolis Police Department SWAT team shot and killed a 22-year-old man early Wednesday morning during the execution of a no-knock raid, reinvigorating debate around a law-enforcement tactic that many say is ripe for abuse. The victim, Amir Locke, who appeared to be asleep on the couch that morning, was not named on that warrant. In a matter of about three seconds, body camera footage shows the man—buried under a thick white blanket—stirring to the sound of the cops' entry with his hand on the barrel of a firearm. Officer Mark Hanneman then shoots him three times. ...

Amir Locke's Death Should Incense Anyone Who Cares About Gun Rights

The 22-year-old man was shot by a Minneapolis police officer during the execution of a no-knock warrant on which he was not named.

reason.com

 

[Democide]

During No-Knock Raid on Wrong Person, Cops Execute Innocent Man as He Slept on Sofa

4 February 2022

After the death of George Floyd in May of 2020, the nation engaged in fierce debates about how to curb the problem of excessive force in the land of the free. After massive proposals from then-Congressman Justin Amash and Senator Rand Paul who wanted to end qualified immunity and no-knock warrants respectively, were largely ignored, other municipalities stepped in and offered local solutions. Minneapolis — the department who killed Floyd — was one of these actors who claimed that they were going to heavily restrict the use of no-knock warrants. But according as we predicted at the time, it appears ...

During No-Knock Raid on Wrong Person, Cops Execute Innocent Man as He Slept on Sofa

After promising to limit no-knock raids, Minneapolis cops served a no-knock raid on the wrong person and executed him on his sofa.

thefreethoughtproject.com

 

[Democide]

In Response to Amir Locke's Killing, Minneapolis Mayor Gestures to Limits of Police
Mayor Jacob Frey announced a moratorium on no-knock warrants Monday, but local officials and legal experts say it contains unnecessary carveouts.

9 February 2022

In the summer of 2020, as the public erupted in outrage after Minneapolis police murdered George Floyd and other police killings were soon broadcast nationwide, members of the Minneapolis City Council pledged to defund and dismantle the police department. Among the incremental reforms the city implemented was a restriction on the use of no-knock warrants, like the one Louisville, Kentucky, police were executing when they killed Breonna Taylor that March. But last week, when Minneapolis police shot and killed 22-year-old Amir Locke, they too were executing a no-knock warrant — despite the restriction — and the limitations of the city’s ...

In Response to Amir Locke’s Killing, Minneapolis Mayor Gestures to Limits of Police Reform

Mayor Jacob Frey announced a moratorium on no-knock warrants Monday, but local officials and legal experts say it contains unnecessary carveouts.

theintercept.com

 

[Democide]

What We Know About the No-Knock Raid Killing of Amir Locke
Locke, 22, was a delivery driver and an aspiring musician. His family is calling his death an “execution.”

7 February 2022

It took less than 10 seconds for Minneapolis Police Department SWAT team officers to shoot 22-year-old Amir Locke after they entered the apartment where he was sleeping, according to body camera footage of the incident. The officers showed up shortly before 7 a.m. Wednesday to execute a no-knock warrant that didn’t even name Locke. Now, Locke’s family is saying his death was an “execution,” one that’s reminiscent of the murder of George Floyd in the same city and the police killing of Breanna Taylor in Louisville during a similar raid. A caravan of protesters even showed up to the Minneapolis ...

Cops Shot and Killed a Black Man 10 Seconds After Entering Apartment

Locke, 22, was a delivery driver and an aspiring musician. His family is calling his death an “execution.”

www.vice.com

NRA Silent as Amir Locke Slain by Police for Having a Gun He Legally Owned
Gun rights groups rarely stand up for Black licensed gun owners.

7 February 2022

The first gun control organization in the United States was formed after the Civil War by white Southerners bothered by the fact that enslaved people were now free, entitled to vote, and arming themselves to defend that freedom. The group called itself the Ku Klux Klan and organized for the first time in 1866. They were often made up of local leaders like sheriffs and judges, and would use the force of law to disarm Black communities before rampaging through them. “Before these midnight marauders made attacks upon peaceful citizens, there were very many instances in the South where the ...

NRA Silent as Amir Locke Slain by Police for Having a Gun He Legally Owned

Gun rights groups rarely stand up for Black licensed gun owners.

theintercept.com

 

[Democide]

Amir Locke’s Family Wants Minneapolis to Fully Ban No-Knock Warrants
Locke, 22, was killed by a Minneapolis police officer serving a no-knock warrant on Wednesday.

8 February 2022

Amir Locke's parents, Andre Locke and Karen Wells, have called for a full ban on no-knock warrants in Minneapolis. Glen Stubbe/AP As they grieve their son, the parents of Amir Locke are calling on Minneapolis to commit to a full ban on no-knock warrants—the dangerous tactic employed by the police who killed their 22-year-old son last Wednesday in an apartment downtown. A former St. Paul Como Park High School football player and aspiring musician who was planning to move from the Twin Cities to Dallas, Texas, Locke was shot and killed by Minneapolis police officer Mark Hanneman as a SWAT ...

Amir Locke's family wants Minneapolis to fully ban no-knock warrants

Locke, 22, was killed by a Minneapolis police officer serving a no-knock warrant on Wednesday.

www.motherjones.com

 

[Democide]

Related thread:

Banning the Type of Police Raids That Killed Amir Locke Is Just a Start​

 

[Democide]

‘Anatomy of a Cover-Up’: Family and Activists Call Out Minneapolis Police for Framing Amir Locke As a Suspect Rather Than a Victim Who Appeared More Trained On the ‘Use of His Firearm’

9 February 2022

“Never would I have imagined that I would be standing here talking about the execution of my son by the Minneapolis Police Department,” said Karen Well, Amir Locke’s mother. Just before 7 in the morning on Feb. 2, Minneapolis Police executed a search warrant on behalf of the Saint Paul Police Department, but the kind of warrant executed was a no-knock warrant. Released body camera video shows nine officers storming an apartment to find Locke sleeping on a couch wrapped in a blanket with his gun in hand. Within nine seconds of entering the apartment, Officer Mark Hanneman fired shots ...

'Anatomy of a Cover-Up': Family and Activists Call Out Minneapolis Police for Framing Amir Locke As a Suspect Rather Than a Victim Who Appeared More Trained On the 'Use of His Firearm'

The family of Amir Locke, 22, is still grappling with the loss of their loved one after he was killed by Minneapolis Police in a deadly no-knock warrant

atlantablackstar.com

 

[Democide]

Minneapolis Police Officers Demanded No-Knock Warrant, Killed Innocent Gunowner Nine Seconds After Entering Residence

10 February 2022

The city of Minneapolis, Minnesota is temporarily ending the use of no-knock warrants following the killing of 22-year-old Amir Locke by Minneapolis police officers. The city's mayor, Jacob Frey, has placed a moratorium on these warrants until the policy can be reviewed by Professor Pete Kraska of Eastern Kentucky University and anti-police violence activist DeRay McKesson. This comes as too little too late for Locke and his surviving family. The entire raid was caught on body cam and it shows Amir Locke picking up a gun (but not pointing it at officers) after he was awakened by police officers swarming ...

Minneapolis Police Officers Demanded No-Knock Warrant, Killed Innocent Gunowner Nine Seconds After Entering Residence

The city of Minneapolis, Minnesota is temporarily ending the use of no-knock warrants following the killing of 22-year-old Amir Locke by Minneapolis police officers. The city's mayor, Jacob Frey, has placed a moratorium on these warrants until...

www.techdirt.com

 

[Democide]

Banning the Type of Police Raids That Killed Amir Locke Is Just a Start
Police violence expert Samuel Sinyangwe says it’s time to rethink more common types of raids, too.

12 February 2022

Amir Locke, a 22-year-old aspiring musician, was sleeping on a couch in his cousin’s Minneapolis home on a Wednesday morning this month when SWAT officers entered without knocking. “Get on the ground! Get on the fucking ground!” one of the cops shouted. As Locke began to move, a pistol in his hand, the officers opened fire. Locke, who was not a subject of the police’s investigation or named in their warrant, was shot dead before he could even figure out what was going on. The case triggered fresh protests and renewed calls to ban warrants that allow cops to enter ...

Banning the type of police raids that killed Amir Locke is just a start

Police violence expert Samuel Sinyangwe says it's time to rethink more common types of raids, too.

www.motherjones.com

 

[Democide]

Amir Locke's Death Demonstrates the Recklessness of 'Dynamic Entry' Tactics
Banning "no-knock" search warrants is not enough to prevent lethal confrontations between cops and people exercising the right to armed self-defense.

16 February 2022

The Minneapolis police officers who killed Amir Locke stormed into the apartment where he was sleeping before dawn on February 2, shouting orders. They said they took that approach to "decrease the risk for injuries." That strategy is dubious even when cops are confident that the home they are invading is occupied only by criminal suspects. It is beyond reckless when they have no idea who might be there, especially in a country where citizens have a constitutional right to armed self-defense. Locke, a 22-year-old aspiring hip-hop artist who was planning a move to Dallas, was staying with his cousin ...

Amir Locke’s Death Demonstrates the Recklessness of ‘Dynamic Entry’ Tactics

Banning "no-knock" search warrants is not enough to prevent lethal confrontations between cops and people exercising the right to armed self-defense.

reason.com

 

[Democide]

SWAT officer in Locke shooting engaged in illegal search during previous raid

16 February 2022

The Minneapolis police officer who shot and killed 22-year-old Amir Locke while executing a search warrant earlier this month had previously violated the constitutional rights of another man during a high-stakes raid. Officer Mark Hanneman’s previous work on the MPD SWAT team is detailed in court records from last year that were first identified Wednesday by the legal team for Locke’s family. A Hennepin County judge found Hanneman had “illegally searched” a St. Paul man while executing a warrant in November 2020, according to court records reviewed by 5 INVESTIGATES. The court records only refer to the warrant as “high-risk” ...

SWAT officer in Locke shooting engaged in illegal search during previous raid

The Minneapolis police officer who shot and killed 22-year-old Amir Locke while executing a search warrant earlier this month had previously violated the constitutional rights of another man during a high-stakes raid.Officer Mark Hanneman’s previous work on the MPD SWAT team is detailed in court...

kstp.com

 

[Democide]

Killer Cop’s Ugly Past Revealed as Amir Locke Funeral Begins in Minneapolis
Officer Mark Hanneman has not been charged with a crime, but a community in mourning was freshly enraged on Thursday.

17 February 2022

Hundreds of community members gathered Thursday for the funeral of Amir Rahkare Locke, the 22-year-old Black man who was fatally shot within seconds of Minneapolis police entering an apartment with a no-knock warrant for a case that had nothing to do with him. Meanwhile, even as family, friends, and locals mourned, new details were emerging about the white cop who fired the shots that killed Locke. Rev. Al Sharpton delivered a eulogy while surrounded by Locke’s family at the Shiloh Temple International Ministries, just two miles from the Feb. 2 disaster. The grim occasion attended by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz ...

Killer Cop’s Ugly Past Revealed as Amir Locke Funeral Begins in Minneapolis

Officer Mark Hanneman has not been charged with a crime, but a community in mourning was freshly enraged on Thursday.

www.thedailybeast.com

 

[Democide]

Cops Raid Innocent Man, Execute Him As He Slept on the Sofa and Get Off Scot Free

8 April 2022

In November 2020, Minneapolis made a highly welcomed announcement noting that they were going to curb the use of no-knock warrants by placing heavy restrictions on their use. Under those guidelines, no-knock warrants are only acceptable in high-risk circumstances such as a hostage situation. “Outside of limited, exigent circumstances, like a hostage situation, MPD officers will be required to announce their presence and purpose prior to entry,” the department’s press release stated. In the following instance, police did announce themselves, but only after they broke into a man’s apartment — without knocking. The man inside the apartment was Amir Locke ...

Cops Raid Innocent Man, Execute Him As He Slept on the Sofa and Get Off Scot Free

No officers will be charged for carrying out a no-knock raid on an innocent man and executing him as he slept on his sofa.

thefreethoughtproject.com

 

[Democide]

Minnesota's Attorney General Says the Cop Who Killed Amir Locke Was Defending Himself. So Was Locke.
That perplexing situation underlines the hazards of police tactics that aim to prevent violence but often have the opposite effect.

7 April 2022

Eight seconds after a Minneapolis SWAT team entered the apartment where Amir Locke was sleeping on a living room couch, Officer Mark Hanneman shot him dead. A joint report that Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman released yesterday uses footage from six body cameras to break those seconds down into tiny pieces, describing what each officer was doing and what he could see at any given moment. The bottom line: Ellison and Freeman say criminal charges will not be filed against Hanneman or any of the other officers who participated in the deadly February 2 ...

Minnesota's Attorney General Says the Cop Who Killed Amir Locke Was Defending Himself. So Was Locke.

That perplexing situation underlines the hazards of police tactics that aim to prevent violence but often have the opposite effect.

reason.com

 

[Democide]

After the Death of Amir Locke, Nothing Is Really Changing—Again
“The spirit of my baby is going to haunt you for the rest of your life,” said Locke’s mother.

8 April 2022

“I am not ‘disappointed,'” said Karen Wells, the mother of Amir Locke, on Wednesday after it was announced that there would be no criminal charges brought against Mark Hanneman, the Minneapolis police officer who shot and killed her son in a no-knock raid. “I am disgusted by the city of Minneapolis.” Locke was a 22-year-old Black man who, before he was killed, had planned to move to Texas to pursue a career in music and be closer to his mother. Locke’s death was a violent rejoinder for the city. It came almost two years after Minneapolis was shaken by George ...

After the death of Amir Locke, nothing is really changing—again

"The spirit of my baby is going to haunt you for the rest of your life,” said Locke's mother.

www.motherjones.com

 

[Democide]

This is a bad joke. The Minneapolis Police Department is out of control and could care less about "policy", plus judges are not bound by any city-hall policy.

The abuses will continue unabated.


Minneapolis Bans Police Use of No-Knock Warrants
After the tragic shooting of Amir Locke, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has made changes to the controversial practice. But are they enough?

8 April 2022

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has announced an end to no-knock search warrants in the city. The policy will ban city police from using or requesting no-knock warrants and implement modest reforms for how long police must wait to enter property after announcing themselves. But does the new policy go far enough to prevent needless deaths? The change was inspired by the February death of Amir Locke, who was sleeping on his cousin's couch when police executed a pre-dawn, no-knock raid. Locke responded to the aggressive intrusion by reaching for a gun that he was licensed to carry. Before Locke ever ...

Minneapolis Bans Police Use of No-Knock Warrants

After the tragic shooting of Amir Locke, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has made changes to the controversial practice. But are they enough?

reason.com