(Washington, D.C.) – Minneapolis law enforcement officers will not face criminal charges in the death of Amir Locke, a Black man who was killed by police during the execution of a “no-knock” search warrant in February at an apartment complex. The following is a statement from Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law:
“Amir Locke committed no crime. He was a guest in an apartment, sleeping on the couch, when law enforcement officers entered the apartment without identifying themselves and took his life. If it wasn’t obvious before, it’s obvious now: our country needs police reform. The Lawyers’ Committee has been leading the call for reform with our partners in the civil rights community, filing lawsuits, challenging police abuses and supporting the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. We will continue to press for systemic changes to law enforcement, because no one should fear that officers sworn to protect them will instead take their lives. This is the devastating reality for the millions of Black Americans and other people of color who bear the brunt of police brutality. We must confront this stain on our society and work to ensure accountability in the face of injustice.”
###
About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of voting rights, criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and hate crimes. For more information, please visit https://lawyerscommittee.org.
