Despite the freezing-cold temperatures, at least 1,000 people gathered in Minneapolis to protest Amir Locke's death. Locke was shot and killed by the police during a routine search.
Among the protesters were Locke's family members. The event started outside of the Hennepin County Government Center before it proceeded to the 1st Precinct police station with the crowd shouting Amir Locke's name.
His father, Andrew Locke, who was in attendance, said that he was angry with the story that his son was shot as police were looking for a murderer.
Although his father said he was not going to say his son was not that kind of person because he's a realistic person who believes in right and wrong, he was sure that his son was not connected to the case in any way.
Andre Locke explained that Locke was responsible and did not deserve the fate that befell him.
The young man was shot on Wednesday morning as he tried to sit up on a couch. According to reports, he was lying on the couch with his gun in his hand.
He was shot by an officer known as Mark Hanneman. Apparently, he had to make a split-second decision and decide whether to shoot or not because his safety and that of other police officers were at risk.
The search was being done as part of the St. Paul murder investigation.
Locke had no criminal record, and he had legal permission to carry a weapon, according to his family. In the original search warrant, Locke was not even named.
Based on a new policy from November 2020, officers should announce themselves before carrying out no-knock search warrants. This, according to Mayor Jacob Frey, would lower incidences of bad outcomes.
The mayor spoke at a press conference, saying that the body cam video raised as many questions as it answered. Frey urged the investigators to get the answers quickly and transparently.
Many of the protesters who showed up were unhappy with Frey, which is why they were calling for his resignation. A lot of the signs they carried made this abundantly clear.
People are unhappy with the mayor suggesting that there was a ban on no-knock warrants. According to Jeff Storms, an attorney representing Locke's family, Minneapolis has a history of saying the right things without actually doing anything to implement them.
Attorney General Keith Ellison said that he was working with Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman to have another look at the case.
Ellison also said that Locke's life mattered because he was a 22-year-old with his whole life ahead of him and many family and friends who will now have to live the rest of their lives without him.
