According to warrants released in the shooting of Amir Locke, he was not the target of the police raid that led to his death.
Instead the warrant was for 17-year-old Mekhi Speed, Locke’s cousin, who has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of a St. Paul man last month, according to WCCO. The warrants were unsealed days ago but needed a judge’s stamp of approval to be released to the public because Speed is a minor.
Part of the controversy surrounding Locke’s death was the no-knock warrant used to enter the premises.
“The court further finds that no-knock entry, without announcement of authority or purpose, is necessary to prevent the loss, destruction, or removal of the objects of said search or to protect the safety of the searchers or the public,” Judge Peter Cahill, who presided over the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, wrote in justifying approval of the warrant.
The warrant was initially requested by the St. Paul Police Department. That department has not carried out a no-knock warrant since 2016. But since it requested the assistance of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), it agreed to MPD’s usage of the tactic.
“The warrants authorized searches of three apartments in the Bolero flats in downtown Minneapolis,” WCCO said. “Police said they were looking for blood and forensic evidence, firearms and ammunition, electronic devices, marijuana, identifying documents, currency, fire extinguishers, and keys to a Mercedes.”
The Mercedes was used in the commission of Speed’s alleged crime, police say.
Speed’s charging documents show that the teen was living in the raided apartment with his mother, but the apartment was being rented by a friend.
Locke was sleeping on the couch when police entered, and pulled a gun as police approached. He was shot and killed by MPD officer Mark Hanneman, who has since been placed on paid administrative leave. In body camera footage, police can be heard yelling “police” and “search warrant” as they enter the apartment.
Democrat elected officials and left-wing activists say the shooting was unjustified.
Minneapolis has since placed a moratorium on no-knock warrants.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Minnesota Sun and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Minnesota Police Officers” by Chad Davis. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
