A 17-year-old has been arrested in connection with a homicide probe that led police to the Minneapolis apartment where they shot dead a young Black man, Amir Locke, during a “no-knock” raid last week, authorities said on Tuesday.
Police in neighboring Saint Paul said a 17-year-old had been arrested Monday in connection with a Jan. 10 homicide, and said: “This arrest is related to the search warrants that were served last week in Minneapolis.”
The fatal shooting of Locke, 22, in an apartment in Minneapolis, the state’s largest city, has drawn protests against no-knock search warrants authorizing police to enter private property without first alerting occupants.
Locke had not been named in the warrant issued in relation to the Saint Paul homicide investigation, and police have acknowledged it was unclear if he was connected.
Search warrants related to the case will likely be unsealed after charges have been filed, which is expected later on Tuesday, the police department said on Twitter.
Locke’s parents have joined others in Minneapolis in calling for an end to no-knock warrants in the city, Reuters said.
“The no-knock warrant is what caused Amir’s death,” his father, Andre Locke, told CNN in an interview on Tuesday. “He didn’t even see what was coming. He couldn’t see who took his life.”
Holding back tears, Locke’s mother, Karen Wells, said during the interview: “As professional people that carry guns and are supposed to protect and serve a community, they didn’t protect my son that day.”
The day after Locke’s killing, police released video footage from the raid that showed Locke holding a gun as he twisted beneath a blanket on a sofa after being roused by officers.
Building on protests held over the weekend, students at several Minneapolis schools staged a walkout on Tuesday, waving banners that read “Justice for Amir Locke” and “Protect Young Black Lives,” photos and video on social media showed.
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The incident is the latest to put the Minneapolis police department under scrutiny. Almost two years ago, George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was killed by a white officer who knelt on his neck for over nine minutes during an arrest.
Outrage over Floyd’s death sparked a nationwide movement challenging police brutality and bias in the U.S. criminal justice system.
The officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck, Derek Chauvin, was convicted by a jury of unintentional second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin has filed notice that he will appeal the conviction. read more