MINNEAPOLIS – The Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot Amir Locke while serving a murder-related search warrant in February will not face criminal charges, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a joint statement there was insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges in the case, Yahoo News reported.
“Specifically, the State would be unable to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt any of the elements of Minnesota’s use-of-deadly-force statute that authorizes the use of force” by the officer, Ellison and Freeman said in the awkwardly worded joint statement.
Locke was on the couch covered in a blanket when officers made entry. Police opened fire when they saw the barrel of a gun come into view from beneath the blanket, Law Officer previously reported.
According to Yahoo News, Officer Mark Hanneman fired at Locke three times less than 10 seconds after a SWAT team entered the apartment.
An unnamed 17-year-old was the focus of the search warrant. He was wanted in a St. Paul homicide investigation and was taken into custody about a week later.
