People of Color and Indigenous Caucus Statement on the Anniversary of Amir Locke's Death

SAINT PAUL, Minn. - The People of Color and Indigenous Caucus issued the following statement on the anniversary of Amir Lock’s death:

“It has been one year since Amir Locke was shot and killed during a no-knock warrant. Amir was wrongfully executed by the Minneapolis Police Department.

Amir Lock was a lawful gun owner, abruptly awoken by an unknown intruder, and was gunned down without regard for who he was or why he was there. Amir Locke was not a resident of Minnesota, but Minnesota took his life and shattered his family. His death is a painful reminder of the hate, politicization, and apathy that persist and harm our community through the continued deaths of Black people and people of color at the hands of police.

It’s with great sadness that we confess—no substantive changes have been made to Minnesota’s no-knock warrant laws. We must recognize that we all have some blood on our hands. As a society, we must stop normalizing the action of turning lost lives into a hashtag. That is not justice. Change is justice.

Far from an outlier, Amir Locke is simply the most recent casualty of no-knock warrants. According to the 2021 No-Knock Warrant Annual Report, 89 no-knock warrants were issued in Black communities.

The POCI caucus recognizes that no-knock warrants can lead to fatalities for citizens and law enforcement officials alike. Recent data has shown that no-knock warrants have led to the death of 81 citizens and 13 officers between 2010 and 2016. No-knock warrants also conflict with the right to self-defense, which is particularly important in Minnesota, where 40% of residents are lawful gun owners.

We need to protect our citizens by banning no-knock warrants. No-knock warrants are a dangerous tool that should only be used in cases where a captive may be severely harmed or killed because of police announcing themselves. It is incumbent upon us to make sure that we don’t lose any more lives to no-knock warrants.

The POCI Caucus is committed to continuing to pursue legislation to ensure Minnesotans across our state feel safe and secure in their homes. We will urgently continue our efforts to create state laws that dismantle racism, demand accountability, and community-centered public safety that will protect Black, Brown, and Indigenous lives.”