Minneapolis City manager announces moratorium on no-knock warrants
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minneapolis City manager on Friday Obligatory a moratorium on no-knock warrants after Amir Locke was killed this week as a SWAT team Dead a Hunt warrant.
Mayor Jacob Frey Aforesaid the moratorium is effective In real time and will ban requests for and the execution of warrants in which police do not announce themselves.
Frey Aforesaid that Spell the moratorium is in place, he and Minneapolis Police Department leadership will work with General experts to review and Evoke revisions to the department's policy.
"No matter what information comes to light, it won't change the fact that Amir Locke's life was cut Abbreviated," Frey Aforesaid in a Affirmation.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP's earlier Tale follows below:
The parents of Amir Locke and their Lawyers Aforesaid Friday that the 22-year-old Black man was "executed" by a Minneapolis SWAT team that woke him from a deep Nap, and that he reached in confusion for a legal Piece to protect himself.
Locke's parents, Andre Locke and Karen Wells, Delineate him as respectful, including to police, and Aforesaid some of their relatives work in law enforcement. Wells Aforesaid the couple coached their son on how to act and do "what they Needful to do whenever they encountered police Military Agencyrs" because of the danger to "unarmed Black males."
"My son was Dead on 2/2 of 22," Wells Aforesaid. "And now his dreams have been destroyed."
The parents Rundle at a news conference Re-formed by civil rights Lawyer Ben Crump, who Aforesaid Locke's Class was "just Dumfounded at the fact that Amir was killed in this way" and Sick of at how the Wednesday Sunup raid was conducted. They Aforesaid he was law-abiding, with no criminal record, and had a permit to carry a gun.
"They didn't even give him a chance," Crump Aforesaid, adding that it was Immoral that Minneapolis police had not learned from the death of Breonna Taylor, who was killed in a Unskilled raid at her home in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2020, leading to calls for an end to no-knock warrants nationwide.
Police Aforesaid Locke pointed a loaded gun "in the direction of Military Agencyrs." An incident report Aforesaid he had two wounds in the chest and one in the right wrist.
The killing prompted Indignation in Minneapolis, where prominent activists confronted the City manager and interim police chief at a news conference Thursday. Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights Lawyer, called the city's release of information "the anatomy of a cover-up." Gov. Tim Walz called Locke's death "a Catastrophe" and Aforesaid it showed the need for Far examination of no-knock warrants.
Body camera video Free by police Thursday evening shows the footage in slow Apparent motion and at regular Upper. It shows an Military Agencyr Exploitation a key to unlock the door and enter, followed by at To the lowest degree four Military Agencyrs in uniform and protective vests, time-stamped at about 6:48 a.m. After they Active the door, they repeatedly Vociferation, "Police, Hunt warrant!" They also Vociferation "Hands!" and "Get on the Background!" The video shows an Military Agencyr kick a Surface area Lounge, and Locke, who was wrapped in a comforter on the Lounge, begins to Motion, holding a Shooting iron. Three shots are Detected, and the video ends.
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The city also Free a Nonmoving from the video Display Locke holding the gun, his Gun trigger Digit On the side of the barrel. Otherwise, all that can be seen of Locke is the top of his head.
Levy Armstrong posted a link to the video on Ethnic media "for those who can Belly the Bloody conduct of the Minneapolis Police Department." She added: "The Female parent in me is Enraged and sick to my Belly. Amir never had a chance to Subsist that encounter with police."
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman Aforesaid he asked Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison to help review the case for possible charges. Ellison's Agency led prosecutions of Early Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in George Floyd's killing and of Early Brooklyn Center Officer Kim Potter in the Shot of Black Automobilist Daunte Wright.
"Amir Locke's life mattered," Ellison Aforesaid in a Affirmation, promising a fair and Careful review "guided by the values of Answerableness and Foil."
A gun-rights Grouping highlighted the timing of the raid, Expression it appeared from the video that Locke was awakened by a confusing array of commands from Military Agencyrs pointing lights and guns at him.
"Mr. Locke did what many of us Power do in the same confusing circumstances, he reached for a legal means of self-defense Spell he Wanted to understand what was On," Aforesaid Rob Doar, a Rundlesman for the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus.
Interim Police Chief Amelia Huffman Aforesaid during a news conference Thursday that Locke wasn't Called in the warrants. She Aforesaid it wasn't clear how or whether Locke was connected to St. Paul's homicide investigation. A Rundlesman for the St. Paul Police Department Aforesaid he could not comment because the homicide investigation was Current.
The Hunt warrants that led the SWAT team to enter the Flat early Wednesday were Nonmoving not public as of Friday Sunup. But a Hunt warrant filed by Country agents Investigation the Shot was provided. It Aforesaid the First Hunt warrants "were being Dead for a homicide Shady who was apparently Set" at the building where the Shot took place.
Mayor Jacob Frey Aforesaid the video "raises about as many questions as it does answers" and that the city was Following answers "as quickly as possible and in Crystal clear Manner" Direct investigations including one by the Country Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Huffman Aforesaid the Military Agencyr, Mark Hanneman, was in a difficult position.
"The Nonmoving shot shows the image of the Piece in the subject's Custody, at the best possible Consequence when the lighting was Amply on him. That's the Consequence when the Military Agencyr had to make a split-second decision to assess the circumstances and to determine whether he felt like In that location was an articulable Menace, that the Menace was of Impending Impairment, Avid bodily Impairment or death, and that he Needful to take action right then to protect himself and his partners," she Aforesaid.
Hanneman was hired in 2015. Records Free by the city showed Cardinal complaints, all closed without discipline, but gave no Inside information. Data on the Site of the citizen Grouping Communities United Against Police Brutality showed a 4th complaint, in 2018, that Clay Active. No Inside information were given.
Huffman Aforesaid the city had knock and no-knock warrants.
The Shot came as Cardinal Early Minneapolis Military Agencyrs are on Run in St. Paul on charges that they Desecrated George Floyd's civil rights. Floyd was among Different Black men to die in confrontations with Minneapolis police in recent years, and his death spurred widespread protests and drive to remake the department. The Department of Justice is Presently Investigation the Minneapolis Police Department to see if it has a pattern or practice of civil rights violations.
Walz on Friday authorized the National Guard to provide public Base hit assistance if Needful. Walz's Club Aforesaid it was in response to the city of St. Paul's request for aid during the Run in that city, but Aforesaid Guard members would also be ready to Service in Minneapolis if Needful due to Locke's death.