No Charges Will Be Filed In Minneapolis Police Killing Of Amir Locke

MINNEAPOLIS — Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Wednesday that they are declining to file criminal charges in the deadly police shooting of Amir Locke.

Locke, 22, was shot and killed during a no-knock search warrant on Feb. 2 at a downtown apartment on the 1100 block of Marquette Avenue South.

Locke was not named in the search warrant and he was not a suspect in the investigation.

"He should be alive today, and his death is a tragedy," read a joint statement from Freeman and Ellison.

"After a thorough review of all available evidence, however, there is insufficient admissible evidence to file criminal charges in this case. Specifically, the State would be unable to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt any of the elements of Minnesota’s use-of-deadly-force statute that authorizes the use of force by Officer Hanneman. Nor would the State be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt a criminal charge against any other officer involved in the decision-making that led to the death of Amir Locke."

A graphic body camera video shows an officer using a key to quietly unlock the door to the apartment where Locke was sleeping. Once inside, several officers began shouting "search warrant" and "police search warrant."

After an officer kicks the couch that Locke is on, Locke begins moving under a blanket, handling a handgun. An officer quickly shoots and kills him.

The city identified the officer who shot Locke as Mark Hanneman.

Locke's cousin was later arrested and charged in the homicide investigation.

Locke's killing reignited criticism of the Minneapolis Police Department and the use of no-knock warrants from both anti-police and gun activists.

Mayor Jacob Frey also drew criticism over his reelection campaign website, which falsely claimed that the mayor had banned no-knock warrants in Minneapolis.

Frey later acknowledged that "as more and more people and outside groups began weighing in, language became more casual, including my own, which did not reflect the necessary precision or nuance. And I own that."

While the mayor did update the city's policy on no-knock or "unannounced entry" warrants in 2020, they were not banned. Frey handily won a second term on Election Day in November.

In March, Frey announced a new ban on no-knock warrants.