A police officer who shot and killed a 22-year-old black man during an unannounced search of his home in Minneapolis has not been charged. The prosecutors of Hennepin County and the state of Minnesota, while critical of the police action, stated that it cannot be conclusively established that the officer violated protocols for the use of his firearm. The rest of the police team involved is also not being prosecuted.
The victim, Amir Locke, was shot dead in early February when police raided his home. A so-called no-knock warrant† In certain circumstances, the police do not have to give someone the opportunity to open the door themselves by making themselves known and knocking or ringing the doorbell. After Locke’s death, the mayor of Minneapolis decided not to no-knock warrants to allow.
After the incident, police released images of the bodycams of officers involved in the search. It shows that an agent with a key opens the door, after which the group enters the house. Once inside, the officers yell that they are from the police and have a search warrant.
Locke, as can be seen in the images, is lying on the couch under a blanket and seems to be startled awake by the police in the house. When he turns around he turns out to have a firearm in his hand. An officer then shoots him dead, claiming that Locke was aiming at the officers.
Check out the images for yourself below. The images have been slowed down and partly made unrecognizable:
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