Officer Mark Hanneman fatally shot Amir Rahkare Locke, a 22-year-old Black man, during a no-knock warrant raid on Feb. 2 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The City of Minneapolis released police body camera video that shows the 10 second raid: the police quietly unlocking the front door, storming in, shouting conflicting orders, and cursing at Locke who was under a blanket on a sofa, reports WCCO.
Locke is seen holding a gun, which police claim was loaded with 5.7mm rounds. Locke’s relatives say he was licensed to carry a weapon and does not have a criminal history.
Interim Police Chief Amelia Huffman and Mayor Jacob Frey held a press conference (video below) on Feb. 3 after the footage was released. Huffman said when Officer Hanneman saw Locke holding a gun, he had to make a “split-second decision” and killed Locke, who was not the subject of the raid.
The press conference was interrupted by several community activists. Huffman was slammed for calling Locke a “suspect” in a press release, and releasing a picture of him holding the gun.
Civil rights lawyer and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, who serves on the mayor’s new Community Safety Workgroup, walked up to the podium next to Huffman and Frey and accused them of changing the narrative:
When people voted to re-elect you, Jacob, they wanted to see a new leader … they expected a new beginning. That’s why they gave you authority. That’s what we want to see, not cover-ups, not white washing… Amelia, you want to be the chief — act like it. Don’t cover up.
(Source: WCCO, City of Minneapolis via YouTube)