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Family of Amir Locke, shot in no-knock police raid, files lawsuit | Police News

One’s family 22 year old man died when police in the United States carried out a “no knock” search of the apartment where he was sleeping, filed a lawsuit in federal court on Friday alleging misconduct by the city of Minneapolis, the force The city’s police and officers fired fatal shots.

The death of Amir Locke on February 2, 2022 brought new surveillance to the practice of issuing a “no knocking” order, allowing police to enter buildings without prior notice of their presence.

Locke’s parents, Karen Wells and Andre Locke, said in a statement Friday: “Our hearts are broken and nothing in this world can make that better. “Amir is a beautiful 22-year-old with a life to live and we will never know how his contributions can make the world a better place.”

They explained that they filed the lawsuit in the hope that “meaningful change will be his legacy.”

The family’s complaint includes allegations that police officer Mark Hanneman violated Locke’s constitutional rights when he opened fire on the sleeping 22-year-old, who was in the process of building a career as a police officer. How to be a hip-hop artist.

It also includes allegations that the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota and its police department displayed “deliberate indifference” in not properly training officers not to use excessive or lethal force. People.

Locke’s assassination compared to fatal shooting Breonna Taylor, who was hit eight times during a separate air raid in Kentucky. She die in 2020 helped spark nationwide protests over racial injustice and police violence.

Like Taylor, Locke was asleep when a police SWAT team arrived at the Minneapolis apartment in the early hours of the morning, where he was a guest. Police quote safety concerns in pursuit of a ban on knocking.

Footage from a police body-worn camera shows the officer using a key to open the apartment door, drawing a gun, and entering at around 6:48 a.m.

Shout “Police! Search warrant!” and “Lie down,” they quickly moved toward the brown sofa near the TV where Locke was resting, wrapped in a large white duvet.

An officer kicked the sofa, and Locke seemed to get up, grabbing a gun. At that point, Officer Hanneman fired three shots at Locke, killing him. The whole incident, from the moment the police entered the apartment, lasted about 10 seconds.

Locke was a guest at his cousin’s downtown apartment when the raid occurred and is not a suspect in the murder that police are investigating as part of a search warrant.

His cousin, Mekhi Camden Speed, later pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree murder in the Otis Elder murder in 2022. Speed ​​was 17 years old at the time.

“The City of Minneapolis, as we have clearly and painfully witnessed in recent years, has a history of excessive and unjustified use of force, especially against black people,” the law said. Ben Crump on behalf of the Locke family said in a press release Friday.

“Amir Locke should not have died a year ago, and we will use this case to fight for justice and for much-needed change in the way Minneapolis trains its officers.”

ONE two-year exploration released last spring by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights concluded that the city’s police department demonstrated a “pattern or practice” of racism.

Crump previously served as an attorney for the family of George Floyd, another Black man who was killed at the hands of Minneapolis police. A video of Floyd’s arrest – which featured a police officer kneeling on his neck for more than 9 minutes – went viral, serving as a catalyst for international protests and love. police reform.

Crump represents the Floyd family as it pursues a civil lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis, alleging that its police force exhibits a culture of excessive violence, racism and impunity. The city eventually agreed to pay a $27 million settlement.

Locke’s shooting occurred as the trials continued against police officer involved in Floyd’s death. checker refused to charge the officials However, it is related to Locke’s death, on the grounds that Locke can be seen holding a gun when he wakes up.

Friday’s complaint notes that Locke kept the pistol “pointing down” and did not let his finger come off the trigger. Instead, it accused the Minneapolis Police Department of enforcing “inconsistent policies, infrequent training, and minimal disciplinary measures to ensure the safety of its citizens.”

The complaint also denounces the administration of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who announced reforms to the city’s search warrant policy following Locke’s death last year.

Under the new guidelines, officers with search warrants must wait 20 seconds before entering a residence during the day and 30 seconds before entering at night. The air strike ban is still allowed under the new policy in extreme cases, such as hostage situations.

But the Locke family’s complaint asserts that the policy changes “have had little effect, as more than 87 door-knocking bans have been enforced” following the changes.

Antonio Romanucci, another attorney on the Locke family’s legal team, said: “Restrictions, like the one that led to Amir’s senseless death, are a problem that Minneapolis and our entire nation. need to be resolved.

“The City will review the Complaint upon receipt,” Minneapolis spokesman Casper Hill told The Associated Press in response to the allegations.

The administration of US President Joe Biden is currently under pressure to pass nationwide police reform, following another high-profile incident involving officers, this time in Memphis, Tennessee. There, a Tire Nichols, 29 years old To be beaten by the police and died in the hospital three days later.

At his funeral earlier this week, Vice President Kamala Harris stood on the church’s pulpit and pressed the divided Congress to pass police reform legislation, including the Justice in Policing Act. by George Floyd.

“We shouldn’t procrastinate, and we won’t be turned down,” Harris said. “Can not negotiate.”



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