An African-American killed by the police in Minneapolis: the case revives the trauma aroused by the murder of George Floyd by a white police officer in May 2020 in this metropolis in the north of the United States. The parents of Amir Locke, 22, who died on Wednesday, February 2, in the early morning during a search of an apartment, promised Friday to fight for “get justice”.
“Distraught and angry”, they denounced a “execution”. They accuse the agents of not having “left no chance” to their son. On a video released by the police, we see the police enter with a key, then announce themselves loudly. Amir Locke, asleep on the sofa in the living room, then fidgets under his quilt, grabs a pistol and sits up slightly. Gunshots ring out. The whole thing takes less than nine seconds.
“A mother should never see her son executed like this”, said Karen Wells, the mother of Amir Locke, during a press conference. Andre Locke pointed out that his son had no criminal record and had a gun license. “He was a heavy sleeper” and “did what any law-abiding citizen would have done under the same circumstances, black and white”. For him, the police “could have done otherwise”, including ordering him to drop his weapon before firing.
Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison “promised” to conduct an examination “rigorous and fair” facts. “Amir Locke’s life mattered”, he added in a press release, in reference to the emblematic slogan Black Lives Matter (black lives matter).
Suspension des mandats « no knock »
Without prejudging the conclusions of the investigation, Democratic Governor Tim Walz noted “the need to go further in the reforms” of the police adopted after the death of George Floyd, in particular “about search warrants”.
The mandate at the heart of the drama did not mention Amir Locke. It was issued as part of a homicide investigation opened in the nearby city of St. Paul and authorized officers not to announce themselves, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Amelia Huffman, quoted by NPR radio. .
These so-called mandates « no knock » (without knocking on the door) have been involved in several cases of police violence. Minnesota had restricted their use after major protests in the summer of 2020.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced Friday evening the immediate suspension of such warrants in his city, and promised a thorough review of police practices.
They “continue to steal innocent black lives”, denounced the lawyer for the parents of Amir Locke, Ben Crump, who also represented the Floyd family. According to him, Amir Locke had bought a weapon because he was a delivery man and wanted to be able to protect himself. “Black men have, like everyone else, the right to own weapons”, he said.