No charges to be filed in shooting of Black man in Minneapolis
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Amir Locke, another victim of racial violence, was shot dead by police following a "no-knock" search.
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Amir Locke, 22, was shot dead by Minneapolis police on February 2.
Minnesota authorities announced on Wednesday that no charges would be filed in the shooting death of a Black man by officers carrying out a "no-knock" search request.
Amir Locke, 22, was shot dead by Minneapolis police on February 2 when they were looking for a suspect in a murder investigation.
A video shows members of a police SWAT team approaching the residence shortly before 7:00 am and yelling, "Police, search warrant!"
When cops opened fire on Locke, who was sleeping on a couch, he began to rise from beneath a blanket with a gun in his hand.
Police used a contentious "no-knock" warrant to access the flat. Locke was not a suspect in the murder investigation and was legally allowed to possess a handgun.
Read more: US police publish footage showing officers shooting Black man
According to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, authorities have decided not to press criminal charges against the officers involved.
"Amir Locke is a victim," Ellison said in a statement. "He should be alive today, and his death is a tragedy."
However, the attorney general stated that police officers have the authority to use lethal force to protect their own lives or the lives of others.
"Under current law -– and as awful as the circumstances of this tragedy are -– there is not sufficient admissible evidence to support a criminal charge," Ellison said.
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According to the state attorney general, the case raises concerns about whether police should continue to use "no-knock" warrants, which have been prohibited in several areas.
"No-knock warrants are highly risky and pose significant dangers to both law enforcement and the public, including to individuals who are not involved in any criminal activity," he said.
"Local, state, and federal policymakers should seriously weigh the benefits of no-knock warrants, which are dangerous for both law enforcement and the public alike," he said.
Locke's death reopened wounds in Minneapolis left by the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, by a white police officer in May 2020.
