HORROR LAST MOMENTS

Amir Locke ‘was executed as he had a sleepover with cousin’ when he was shot dead by Minneapolis cops, mom claims

Amir Locke was sleeping when he was fatally shot by a SWAT team enacting a "no-knock" warrant on the apartment.

The 22-year-old black man was "at a sleepover at his cousin's place" when he was "executed" by the Minneapolis officials on the morning of February 2, according to his mother.

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Amir Locke's parents described him as a respectful and law-abiding young manCredit: Ben Crump
Locke's parents say that their son reached for his legal firearm to protect himself after being woken from a deep sleepCredit: Reuters

Locke's parents, Andre Locke and Karen Wells say that their son reached for his legal firearm to protect himself after being woken from a deep sleep at 6:48am.

On Thursday, police released the bodycam footage of Locke's last moments in which an officer uses a key to unlock the apartment door and enter without knocking while yelling, "Police, search warrant!"

Locke appears startled, wrapped in a blanket as he wakes up, and is seen holding a pistol before three shots are heard at the end of the video.

Locke was not named in any search warrants before entry, according to police.

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Locke's parents spoke at a news conference organized by civil rights attorney Ben Crump on Friday, where they spoke of their son as a respectful and law-abiding young man who loved music and wanted to help people.

"Now his dreams have been destroyed, but as his mother, I will make sure that as long as I am on this side of this world I am going to fight every day to make sure that Amir Rahkare Locke gets justice for being executed by the Minneapolis police," Wells said in her emotional speech.

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The killing has sparked national outrage, with people calling for change and accountability from the police force.

On Friday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey imposed a moratorium on the "no-knock" warrant.

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Frey said that while the temporary ban is effective, he will work with police leadership to review and revise department policy with the help of experts who brought about Breonna's Law that banned no-knock warrants in Louisville, Kentucky after Breonna Taylor was killed in her home in a botched police raid.

“No matter what information comes to light, it won’t change the fact that Amir Locke’s life was cut short,” Frey said in a statement.

NO-KNOCK WARRANTS

In the wake of the killing of George Floyd, Minneapolis announced new police on no-knock entries that summer, which was designed to limit the “likelihood of bad outcomes.”

Officials said officers would now be required to announce their presence and purpose before entering the premises, except for certain circumstances such as a hostage situation.

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