Parents say Amir Locke was ‘executed’ by police; Walz, Smith issue statements

MINNEAPOLIS (KVRR-AP) – The parents of Amir Locke and their attorneys say Locke was “executed” by a Minneapolis SWAT team that woke him from a deep sleep, and that he reached in confusion for a legal firearm to protect himself.

Andre Locke and Karen Wells, described him as respectful to police, and said they coached him on how to act with officers.

Police released body camera footage that shows officers entering a downtown apartment and shooting the 22-year-old man, who was wrapped in a comforter on a sofa and had a gun in his hand.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the shooting.

“The Minneapolis Police Department must immediately explain how it could have released an early statement that referred to Amir as a suspect four separate times, when he was not a suspect” U.S. Sen. Tina Smith said. “They must explain why they described Amir as being ‘armed with a handgun pointed in the direction of officers’ when this was not the case.”

Gov. Tim Walz called the incident a “tragedy.”

“Minnesota made strides last year, passing statewide restrictions on the use of no-knock warrants. But the events leading to the death of Amir Locke illustrate the need for further reform,” according to Walz.

“To ensure the safety of both residents and law enforcement, we need to make additional changes to police policies and practices regarding the execution of search warrants.”