Amir Rahkare Locke, 22, was shot and killed by a member of the Minneapolis Police Department’s SWAT team during the execution of a no-knock search warrant at a downtown apartment.
MPD obtained a no-knock warrant on the property while investigating a homicide that took place in nearby St. Paul.
The search warrant was unrelated to Locke, a young black man, who legally obtained a concealed carry permit for amid the violent crime surge across the Twin Cities.
Locke felt safer when carrying a firearm, instinctively knowing it provided a measure of protection while he delivered food late at night.
By all accounts, Locke was respectful of police officers. He had even been mentored by relatives who work in law enforcement.
He was one week away from moving to Dallas, Texas with the dream of following in his father’s musical footsteps.
In a press release, Gun Owners of America weighed in on Locke’s case, saying it look forward to a full investigation of this “very troubling episode.”
Gun Owners of America awaits an investigation into this very troubling episode in Minnesota where Amir Locke – a gun owner with no publicly known criminal history or formal accusations of any crime – was killed by Minneapolis police.
For years, GOA has been concerned about how “no-knock” warrants threaten the safety of innocent Americans and law-abiding gun owners. For this reason, GOA filed an amicus brief in Quinn v. Texas, where an innocent father was also killed in a “no-knock” raid by police.
The only justification for the no-knock raid in Quinn v. Texas was that John Quinn owned a firearm. The police claimed that firearms ownership was enough to present a danger to law enforcement, even though they knew Quinn had a concealed carry permit — meaning the state of Texas had pronounced him to be a safe, law-abiding citizen.
GOA is not a police reform organization. However, when police actions conflict with Second Amendment rights, GOA will not hesitate to insert ourselves in the public policy debate. This is why we are speaking out today and why we have concerns about the situation in Minnesota.
Amir Locke’s family confirms he had a permit to carry a gun for self-defense at his delivery job. While the video does appear to show he had a firearm in hand, that is not an unwarranted action on someone’s part when they’re woken up in the middle of the night to loud shouting. Not to mention the fact that we have seen other cases where home invaders pose as police to get the upper hand on their intended victims.
GOA is strongly committed to protecting people’s right to defend their lives. With our review of the currently available facts, we are very troubled and saddened by the killing of Mr. Locke and call upon legislators to ban “no knock” raids where no life is in imminent danger.
There are many valid questions that need to be answered. We will not rush to judgment because many initial reports are often wrong or incomplete. That was the folly in the Michael Brown incident; and Obama’s FBI later determined – and it was also confirmed by The Washington Post’s Jonathan Capehart – that the “hands up, don’t shoot” narrative was a lie. So, we look forward to a full investigation to get to the bottom of this tragic affair and see if specific policies were followed or violated, so the appropriate people can be held accountable.
Based on body cam footage and interviews we know that Locke, a heavy sleeper, was abruptly awaken at 6:48 a.m. by a SWAT team entering the room. Several officers yelled “Police! Search warrant!” while one shouted “Hands, hands!” and another bellowed “Get on the ground!”
Locke was lying asleep on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, as officers stepped through the doorway. Moments later one officer kicked the couch, jarring the young man awake. With no time to process what was happening, Locke began to sit up in the couch with his gun in his hand. Almost immediately, Officer Mark Hanneman shot him three times.
The interaction between Locke and police lasts no more than ten seconds. You can watch the body cam footage here. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.
Amelia Huffman, Minneapolis’ interim police chief, defended Hanneman, saying he “had to make a split-second decision to assess […] an articulable threat, that the threat was of imminent harm, great bodily harm or death, and that he needed to take action.”
At the same time, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) said his office would work with the local DA’s office to review whether the case warrants possible charges.
In the meantime, Minneapolis has placed a moratorium on no-knock warrants.
So, what do you think — and how do you feel about no-knock search warrants? As always, share your thoughts with us below!
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
Donny Ferguson is a professional fundraiser and organizational manager. Born and raised in Texas, he has lived in Washington, D.C. for 16 years. Ferguson also served as Senior Communications and Policy Adviser in the United States House of Representatives, operating one of Capitol Hill's most effective media operations.
They couldn’t wait until he left for work?