Minnesota Judge Approved ‘No-Knock’ Search That Killed Amir Locke to Protect Officers: Document

In this image taken from Minneapolis Police Department body camera video and released by the city of Minneapolis, 22-year-old Amir Locke wrapped in a blanket on a couch holding a gun moments before he was fatally shot by Minneapolis police as they were executing a search warrant in a homicide investigation in Minneapolis on Feb. 2, 2022. Minneapolis Police Department via AP

A Minnesota judge approved the “no-knock” raid that killed Amir Locke in Minneapolis last week, believing it was needed to protect the investigating officers and the public, court documents released on Thursday showed.

Officers who requested the warrant to enter a Minneapolis apartment were investigating a previous fatal shooting in St. Paul in which a firearm capable of penetrating police body armor was used. That justified the need for a no-knock entry to catch suspects off guard, the requesting officers said.