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Family and Friends Mourn Amir Locke, Black Man Killed in Minneapolis Police No-Knock Raid

HeadlineFeb 18, 2022

In Minneapolis, mourners gathered Thursday for the funeral of Amir Locke, a 22-year old Black man who was fatally shot by police officers executing a no-knock warrant on February 2. Body-camera video of the incident shows Locke appeared to be asleep on a couch and wrapped in a blanket when a SWAT team entered the apartment. White police officer Mark Hanneman shot Locke three times — opening fire less than nine seconds into the raid. On Thursday, the Rev. Al Sharpton delivered Locke’s eulogy, saying, “Amir was not guilty of anything but being young and Black in America.” His aunt, Linda Tyler, also spoke.

Linda Tyler: “We don’t want to continue to hear about being a police officer is a difficult job. You have to make split decisions. You fear for your life. You’re not drafted into the police department; you chose that profession. And if you think being a police officer is a difficult profession, try to be a Black man!”

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