I'm starting a new thread on this rather than putting it in another "Police Shooting" thread as this case might get much more attention. Quick summary MPD enter an apartment with a key, do not announce themselves, looking for a suspect in a murder investigation. They see a man waking up under a blanket on the couch. The man is holding a gun. The man is shot multiple times by an LEO. Note Amir Locke does have a permit for the gun and hasn't been tied to the murder investigation for the entry. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2022/...lice-video-footage-of-fatal-shooting-increase Bodycam video shows man under blanket, holding gun before Minneapolis cop shoots Jon Collins, Matt Sepic and Tim Nelson Minneapolis February 3, 2022 4:12 PM Body camera footage of Wednesday’s fatal shooting of Amir Locke by Minneapolis police inside a downtown apartment shows a SWAT team entering the apartment with a key, without knocking, shouting “police search warrant” several times as officers enter and then quickly approach a couch with a figure wrapped in a blanket. An officer kicks the couch. Police can be heard yelling “get on the ground” and “show me your hands.” Locke, 22, can been seen stirring from the blanket and then holding a gun as he starts to move, just before he is shot about nine seconds after the police enter. “This video raises about as many questions as it answers,” Mayor Jacob Frey told reporters following the release of the footage late Thursday. “We intend to get answers as quickly as possible.” The search warrant was tied to a St. Paul homicide investigation. Locke was not named in the search warrant and it’s not clear if he figures into the St. Paul case, Amelia Huffman, the interim Minneapolis police chief, said after the video’s release. The footage released by the city shows the incident at normal, slow and very slow speeds, from the time officers enter to when one officer fires three shots in rapid succession, before the video abruptly stops. Its release came as pressure mounted on Frey to make it public. The mayor had insisted that Locke’s family be allowed to watch the video before it was publicly released. He said the family saw the video earlier in the day Thursday. The shooting happened shortly before 7 a.m. Wednesday. Minneapolis SWAT team members entered the apartment in a building across the street from Orchestra Hall. A later statement by the department alleged that the man pointed the gun in the direction of police. Huffman stood by that on Thursday, although the video released isn’t clear on whether the gun was pointed at an officer. A report from the Minneapolis Fire Department described two gunshot wounds to Locke’s chest and one on his wrist. Locke was later declared dead at HCMC. The city identified police officer Mark Hanneman as the officer who fired on the man. City records say Hanneman started working at the Police Department in August 2015. Three complaints have been made about Hanneman to the city’s Office of Police Conduct and Review, although they were closed without disciplinary action. A spokesperson for the Minneapolis Police Department confirmed that Hanneman has been on paid administrative leave since Wednesday. Minneapolis police officials had announced in November 2020 that the department was limiting use of so-called “no knock” warrants, either for searches or arrests, in which officers don't ask for entry into a target location or announce their intentions before going in. Huffman on Thursday said knock and no-knock warrants had been obtained for Wednesday’s action. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the shooting, and the department will review to see if its policies and procedures were violated, Huffman said. “We all know these events happen very rapidly, and as there's a gun emerging in your direction you’re forced to make a split-second decision about when it’s a threat,” she said. Activists who attended the press conference were critical of initial statements about the incident and said city officials weren't being truthful. “What we are seeing is business as usual,” said civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong. “If (police) knew that the kid had a gun as he started waking up, say ‘Drop your weapon.’ They didn’t do that.” Attorney Ben Crump, who represented George Floyd’s family following his killing while in Minneapolis police custody, is representing Locke’s family. In a statement, Crump said Locke had no past criminal history and legally possessed a gun. Crump and Locke’s family members are expected to speak to reporters Friday morning. Here is the video of the body cam footage.
The murder in question was committed in St. Paul not Minneapolis and Amir Locke's name was not on warrant. I don't think the name on the warrant has been released or any if there is any connection between Locke or the person on the warrant.
Thanks for posting this and starting this thread rocketsjudoka. Here's the video again for those that can't see the initial one you posted
I am hopeful this thread can bring everyone together in agreement about what occurred and the massive failure by MPD and Minneapolis SWAT. I'm sure some will want to wait for more facts and that's fair but from what we know so far: A law abiding citizen Legally owned his firearm Police presence not announced till after entering. Essentially What the F$CK? This shouldn't be happening. If you're a gun rights advocate this should be upsetting. If you aren't, it should still be.
Damn. I know I'm confused as **** whenever my wife nudges me at like 2am to check on our newborn. Can't imagine processing whats going on when someone kicks your couch like that while sleeping and people yelling at you. I'd probably reach for my gun in confusion too.
What’s more likely? Guy just decided to aim a gun at cops and commit suicide by cop, or he was sleeping with his gun, was woken up by a no-knock and shot to death before he could even register what was happening? I’m sure the cops are searching for any possible criminal record of this young man they could release to the public as we speak
Not saying they were justified, but they did announce themselves. These no knock warrants on places they have no idea of who is in the dwelling have got to stop.
That was not my point at all, just I know people are gonna latch onto the fact that they did announce themselves which RJ said they did not. To tell the truth, I don't really blame the cops, they had no idea who it was with a gun and it was prudent to fire in that situation but they were put in a terrible position. The second biggest thing for me was how they entered the house all of them being crowded in the hallway was a killing zone if there were actually hostiles waiting.
So were the police at the right place and Amir at the wrong place at the wrong time or did he actually live there?
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. https://reason.com/2022/02/04/amir-locke-minneapolis-police-shooting-no-knock-raid-gun-rights/
They didn't announce themselves until they were well within the unit and only until they saw Amir Locke waking up. Also local news here is reporting that standard procedure is one person is in charge of announcing them so there is a clear and understandable voice. Instead there is a babble of confusing voices all yelling at Locke. Local news is also reporting that St. Paul PD never asked for a no knock warrant and this was MPD's decision.
Can we get your actual thoughts on this? You guys love bringing up your archaic 2nd amendment bullshit all the time. Well, here is the reason for the 2nd amendment, government representatives entering your home without permission on some bullshit warrant that doesn’t even apply to you. Please give us your real thoughts rather then defecting to the aftermath of what this may cause. Thanks.
No knock warrants seem like we're halfway into a police state. Well if you're sleeping sound, maybe its more like a subjugation/occupation.
My real thought is I give no shiet to this shooting. Wake me up when you give some shiet to the victims of this current crime wave.
Drive a stake through the heart of your lame ass party like you would do a vampire, law and order will greet a new dawn. That is how you solved crime.
