MINNEAPOLIS — A Hennepin County judge approved the no-knock warrant that led to the police killing of Amir Locke during a raid in downtown Minneapolis last week in order to ensure officer safety and preserve potential evidence in a St. Paul homicide investigation, according to court documents unsealed Thursday.
Authorities claimed that a no-knock operation would "decrease the risk for injuries to the suspects and other residents" because the individuals they sought had violent criminal histories and were known to be armed.
The stealth entry to execute the search warrant was approved Feb. 1, the day before Minneapolis SWAT officers stormed into the Bolero Flats apartment yelling "Search warrant!" without knocking. Locke, 22, was on a couch under a blanket, and he stirred after an officer kicked the couch. He had a gun in his right hand and was shot within seconds.
