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Feb 3, 2022, 23 tweets

NEW: A man named by the cmty as Amir Locke was killed by MPD serving a warrant on Feb 2. Police say they killed him b/c he was armed. His family says he wasn't named on warrant, that he had a permit to carry & was startled by the pre-dawn police intrusion.
unicornriot.ninja/2022/minnesota…

Minnesota Police Kill Man Wednesday Morning - Marking Their Third Black Victim in 66 Days

Story > unicornriot.ninja/2022/minnesota… <

Amir Locke, who is said to be around 24 y/o, was killed by Mark Hanneman, an MPD SWAT officer while police were executing an early morning no-knock search warrant on February 2.

The killing occurred at the Bolero Flats Apartment Homes on the 7th floor. 🧵
unicornriot.ninja/2022/minnesota…

The police narrative, which contradicts what Amir Locke’s family says, is that Minneapolis Police were assisting St. Paul Police in executing a search warrant on a homicide suspect when the suspect brandished a weapon, and in fear of their lives, they shot and killed him. 🧵

Amir Locke's family says he was sleeping on the couch of a family member's apt when police entered the apt executing a search warrant seeking 3 people, none of whom were Locke & that he was a licensed gun owner & was startled from the pre-dawn police actions & sought protection.

MPD Interim Chief Amelia Huffman said officers entered the downtown apartment using a key fob & “loudly & repeatedly announced police search warrant” - 9 seconds into the apt “the officers encountered a male who was armed w/ a handgun.” Police say they then killed Amir Locke. 🧵

Authorities swiftly revealed Amir Locke was killed by MPD Officer Mark Hanneman & released documents related to the shooting: Incident Detail Report, Fire Incident Detail Report, & Fire Incident Report, along with a news release, and two photos of the gun. minneapolismn.gov/resident-servi…

The documents released by the city reveal that Mark Hanneman, who killed Amir Locke, was part of MPD's Unit 1280 that initially entered the apartment & that Locke was killed by two gunshot wounds to the chest and one to the wrist. [redactions & highlights done by authorities] 🧵

Amir Locke's killer, Mark Hanneman, was an officer in Hutchinson in 2012 & involved in a statewide intra-agency scheme giving illicit drugs to Occupy movement protesters & to the unhoused as part of @MnDPS_MSP’s Drug Recognition Evaluator (DRE) program.

Providing cover to Unit 1280 on Feb 2 was Unit 1281 & in that unit was MPD Officer Kyle Mader, who has at least 10 complaints filed on him & was filmed violently slamming an advocate for the houseless to the ground at #GeorgeFloydSquare in late 2020. 🧵unicornriot.ninja/2020/minneapol…

In a controversial pattern, #AmirLocke was named a homicide suspect in the initial reports by the police that were widely published by the press. In her press conference, Interim Chief Huffman referred to the “homicide” investigation from which the warrant was based, three times.

[Thread Cont.] Similar inaccurate homicide allegations were spread about #WinstonSmith after he was killed by a federal task force last year in Uptown Minneapolis. Corporate news reports were later retracted that initially called Smith a murder suspect. unicornriot.ninja/2021/federal-t…

More documents were released today related to the killing #AmirLocke by Minneapolis Police Ofcr Mark Hanneman: General Offense Public Information Report, Hanneman’s Public Personnel File [55 pgs], & Hanneman’s MPD Employee Complaint Summary.

Full docs: unicornriot.ninja/2022/minnesota…

If what the family says is true & that Locke was not named on the warrant, he was then not a suspect in the investigation – yet he was still killed.

The pattern of criminalizing victims is clearly seen in each of the last 3 police killings in Minnesota.

Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating three recent police killings: Amir Locke, Kokou Christopher Fianfonou in Austin, and Noah Kelley in Mounds View. Protests have called for transparency and accountability in each of the cases. 🧵

#AmirLocke was the 3rd Black man killed by Minnesota police in the last 66 days.

38y/o Kokou Christopher Fianfonou was killed by Austin Police Officer Zachary Gast in Austin, MN on December 23. Police say Fianfonou, originally from Togo, was threatening officers with a knife.🧵

🧵Christopher Fianfonou was reportedly stuck in an extended standoff with Austin Police starting on Dec 22 from a report of a man walking in traffic with a knife.

During the standoff, police shot tear gas, foam marker rounds, & deployed Tasers into Fianfonou’s cousin’s house.

🧵Later on Dec 23, Austin PD left the sight of the house. Then they say Fianfonou confronted them armed, so they killed him.

Fianfonou’s family disputes that he was threatening anyone, saying he was going through a mental crisis, was unarmed & had bags of groceries in his hands.

A GoFundMe has been created by the family of Kokou Christopher Fiafonou* [incorrect spelling in last tweets] to help support his wife & children. Activists call for video to be released, cops fired & prosecuted & Christopher’s family to be compensated. 🧵gofundme.com/f/justicefor-k…

On November 28, 2021, 21 y/o Noah Kelley was shot & killed by Mounds View Police Sgt. Michael Hanson & New Brighton Police Officer John Thomas inside a Mounds View liquor store. Police say Kelley had a handgun & alone in the liquor store when officers arrived & killed Kelley. 🧵

Noah Kelley, killed by police in November 2021, leaves behind a young daughter and a wife. His family has created a GoFundMe to help support his family. 🧵gofundme.com/f/j8agk-unexpe…

The police killing of #AmirLocke was the third Black man killed by Minnesota Police since November 28, 2021. #ChristopherFiafonou #NoahKelley [Thread above - story in link] unicornriot.ninja/2022/minnesota…

Released video shows police entering #AmirLocke's cousin's apt unannounced, yelling “police search warrant” before walking down hallway & kicking a couch that Locke was sleeping on. Within 2 seconds, Locke rolled over, grabbed a gun & was #KilledByPolice. unicornriot.ninja/2022/body-came…

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