Amir Locke's Uncle Andrew Tyler speaks at the Minnesota Capitol a year after his nephew's death. (Elijah Todd-Walden/BLCK Press)
A year after Amir Locke was killed in a no-knock raid on a seventh story Minneapolis apartment, his family gathered at the state capitol to voice their grief and their anger. They were joined by the families of Marcus Golden, Justin Teigen and numerous others who had lost loved ones at the hands of police officers.
“This is the pain of a mother. All of these mothers, we had to meet through tragedy,” Locke’s mother, Karen Wells, said. ”This is disgusting - I am sick and tired of Minnesota.”
Amir Locke’s mother Karen Wells
Many of the people that spoke directed their anger towards elected officials, with some explicitly naming politicians like Minneapolis and St. Paul mayors Jacob Frey and Melvin Carter. Andrew Tyler, Locke’s uncle, called on Keith Ellison’s office to review footage and renew its investigation into Locke’s death.
“This case should send chills down our spine, that an innocent person could be shot and killed in their home while they were sleeping on their couch or laying on their bed,” President of the Minnesota Justice Coalition Johnathon McClellan said. Locke carried a legal firearm at the time of his death.
Rep. Maria Isa Perez-Vega said that she is doing everything in her power to pass legislation to increase transparency and accountability in policing.
Rep. Maria Isa Perez-Vega
Amir Locke was 22 years old when he was fatally shot by Minneapolis police. He was not a suspect in the warrant issued.