keemz
#gaza4eva #freeKartel #FreeSiva
In the early morning hours Wednesday, Minneapolis police officers gently placed a key in a city apartment door before bursting through the doorway yelling "Police! Search warrant!," according to body camera footage released by city officials Thursday night.
In the seconds that followed, a Black man apparently asleep and shown to be holding a gun upon awakening was shot and killed. Police say he was not named in any search warrants before the entry, and attorneys for the man's family say he was in legal possession of his firearm.
The shooting brings further scrutiny to the use of no-knock warrants and shines a spotlight on a police department that has faced criticism before.
In May 2020, Minneapolis Police Department officers were involved in the killing of George Floyd before later being fired and charged in his death. The subsequent national outrage over the killings of Floyd and Breonna Taylor -- who was shot by police in Kentucky as they performed a no-knock warrant entry -- led to sustained protests and calls for policing reform.
That summer, Minneapolis announced a new policy on no-knock entries, aimed at limiting the "likelihood of bad outcomes." Officials said that officers would be required to announce their presence and purpose before entering, except in certain circumstances like hostage situations.
Family attorneys and the city have identified the man who was shot and later died as Amir Locke. He was not named in the original search warrant, police said.
Jeff Storms, one of the Locke family attorneys, echoed those findings to CNN.
"To the best of my knowledge, he was not named in any of the search warrants," he said. "He was not even a target."
Storms added, "The City of Minneapolis told the public that it was limiting the use of no-knock warrants to 'limit the likelihood of bad outcomes.' Less than two years later, Amir Locke and his family needlessly suffered the worst possible outcome. Our City has to do better."
Minneapolis officers were executing the warrant tied to a homicide investigation in nearby St. Paul, according to Minneapolis police.
"At this point, it's unclear if or how he (Locke) is connected to St. Paul's investigation," said Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Amelia Huffman during a press conference late Thursday.
"These events unfold in seconds but the trauma is long-lasting. A young man lost his life, and his friends and family are in mourning," said Huffman, describing it as a sobering moment.
In the seconds that followed, a Black man apparently asleep and shown to be holding a gun upon awakening was shot and killed. Police say he was not named in any search warrants before the entry, and attorneys for the man's family say he was in legal possession of his firearm.
The shooting brings further scrutiny to the use of no-knock warrants and shines a spotlight on a police department that has faced criticism before.
In May 2020, Minneapolis Police Department officers were involved in the killing of George Floyd before later being fired and charged in his death. The subsequent national outrage over the killings of Floyd and Breonna Taylor -- who was shot by police in Kentucky as they performed a no-knock warrant entry -- led to sustained protests and calls for policing reform.
That summer, Minneapolis announced a new policy on no-knock entries, aimed at limiting the "likelihood of bad outcomes." Officials said that officers would be required to announce their presence and purpose before entering, except in certain circumstances like hostage situations.
Family attorneys and the city have identified the man who was shot and later died as Amir Locke. He was not named in the original search warrant, police said.
Jeff Storms, one of the Locke family attorneys, echoed those findings to CNN.
"To the best of my knowledge, he was not named in any of the search warrants," he said. "He was not even a target."
Storms added, "The City of Minneapolis told the public that it was limiting the use of no-knock warrants to 'limit the likelihood of bad outcomes.' Less than two years later, Amir Locke and his family needlessly suffered the worst possible outcome. Our City has to do better."
Minneapolis officers were executing the warrant tied to a homicide investigation in nearby St. Paul, according to Minneapolis police.
"At this point, it's unclear if or how he (Locke) is connected to St. Paul's investigation," said Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Amelia Huffman during a press conference late Thursday.
"These events unfold in seconds but the trauma is long-lasting. A young man lost his life, and his friends and family are in mourning," said Huffman, describing it as a sobering moment.