Legal Team for Family of Amir Locke Releases Statement Following Revelation That Minneapolis PD Insisted on No-Knock Raid

Nationally renowned civil rights attorneys Ben Crump, Jeff Storms, and Antonio Romanucci have released a statement following reports that the Minneapolis Police Department insisted on a no-knock raid that led to the tragic killing of Amir Locke, despite the fact that St. Paul police never requested it.

The Minneapolis PD SWAT team entered Locke’s residence in the early morning hours on Wednesday. The officers executed a no-knock raid to enter the residence, reportedly executing a search warrant related to a St. Paul homicide investigation. Locke was not the subject of that warrant, had no past criminal history, and legally possessed a firearm at the time of his death. Today, the Gun Owners Caucus released a statement in support of Amir, in part stating, “Black men, like all citizens, have a right to keep and bear arms. Black men, like all citizens, have the right to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable search and seizure.”

Attorneys for the family released the following statement:

“Despite the deplorable lack of transparency from the Minneapolis PD in the brutal and senseless killing of Amir Locke, we are continuing to learn more about the disturbing details that led to Amir’s death. Today, it was reported that the search warrant used to enter the residence where Amir was staying was changed from a ‘knock’ warrant to a ‘no-knock’ warrant at the insistence of the Minneapolis police. This inexplicable, yet deliberate choice needlessly ended Amir’s life. It’s past time that the Minneapolis PD be transparent and accountable to Amir’s family and the community that they are sworn to protect. No-knock raids at the hands of law enforcement continue to take the lives of innocent Black people. We ask that just as people raised their voices for Breonna Taylor, they do the same for Amir Locke. Enough is enough.”

ABOUT BEN CRUMP LAW

Through his work, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more information, visit bencrump.com.

About Newmark Storms Dworak LLC 

Newmark Storms Dworak LLC is one of Minnesota’s premier boutique law firms. The Minneapolis firm regularly handles high-profile civil rights, medical malpractice, and sexual abuse claims. For more information, visit www.newmarkstorms.com.

About Romanucci & Blandin, LLC

Romanucci & Blandin is a Chicago-based national trial practice committed to fighting for victims of negligence, abuse and wrongful death. Founded in 1998, we have decades of history securing verdicts and settlements for our clients - many for millions of dollars and others record-setting awards.  Our expertise ranges from medical malpractice and sexual abuse cases involving individual or institutional negligence to civil rights, police misconduct and workers compensation, making Romanucci & Blandin a valuable legal resource to individuals and groups of people who have been injured by others’ wrongdoing. Referring attorneys and clients say several factors differentiate our firm: Our record of success, depth of experience, talented and dedicated legal team, tireless preparation and strategic use of communications to fight for the rights of those whose lives have been changed forever. We are different from other personal injury firms in that our work does not stop when a verdict or settlement is secured. We are often inspired by our clients’ experiences and commit resources to create change in our communities. For more information about Romanucci & Blandin, please visit www.rblaw.net or call (312) 458-1000.