Family of Amir Locke Plans to Sue City of Minneapolis

The family of 22 year old Amir Locke, who was killed by Minneapolis police during a no-knock raid almost exactly a year ago, has announced plans to sue the city and the police officer who shot him.

“This has got to stop,” Locke’s mother, Karen Wells, stated during a conference. “Amir will be the face of banning no-knock warrants. He will not die in vain.”

"We all saw that horrific video where Amir Locke didn't even have a chance ... He was practically in slumber when the police did what they do so often with Black people -- they shoot first, and ask questions later," Locke’s family attorney Ben Crump stated Friday during a press conference.

While executing a no-knock warrant, MPD officer Mark Hanneman entered an apartment where Locke was asleep on the couch. The police officer’s brief encounter with Locke, who was awakened by the commotion, lasted only a few seconds and resulted in Hanneman firing three shots into Locke, killing him.

"In this moment, I feared for my life and the lives of my teammates," Hanneman told investigators after the raid. "I was convinced that the individual was going to fire their handgun and that I would suffer great bodily harm or death. I felt in this moment that if I did not use deadly force myself, I would likely be killed."

Locke was not named in the warrant, nor was he a suspect in its associated case.

Hanneman faced no charges for Locke’s death.

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