Attorneys, parents of Amir Locke call for justice following release of bodycam video in his death

(KSTP) – Friday morning, the parents of Amir Locke — the man who was fatally shot by Minneapolis police on Wednesday morning — and civil rights attorneys called for justice and accountability.

National civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, as well as Minnesota attorney Jeff Storms, sharply criticized Minneapolis police and city officials for failing to make the necessary reforms that could’ve prevented Locke’s death, specifically regarding no-knock warrants.

“No-knock warrants have deadly consequences for innocent, law-abiding Black citizens,” Crump said, adding that he’s “shocked” that another deadly police incident took place in Minnesota given the reforms Minneapolis and state leaders vowed.

“This poor young man is awoken from his slumber and given no opportunity to survive,” Storms said. Storms added, “We have a city that just refuses to learn,” questioning whether Minneapolis leaders can be trusted to make necessary reforms.

The attorneys noted the similarities between Locke’s death and the death of Breonna Taylor, who was fatally shot in Louisville, Kentucky in 2020, and criticized Minneapolis officials for not learning from Taylor’s death.

Storms also highlighted the statement issued by the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus — which called Locke’s death “completely avoidable” — and commended the organization’s leaders.

Locke’s parents described their son — who was the third-oldest of their eight children — as a respectful man who “enjoyed learning and asking questions,” and wanted to be part of the music industry, help youth and “change lives.”

“My baby had a beautiful spirit,” his mother, Karen Wells, said, adding, “Amir was all about changing the world.”

Wells and Locke’s father, Andre Locke, explained how they raised Amir to be respectful, particularly with law enforcement.

“My son, Amir, did what was right. He did all the things he was supposed to do,” Andre Locke said. “Amir did what any law-abiding citizen, any reasonable law-abiding citizen would do to protect himself,” he added.

Andre Locke also said, what stuck out most to him when seeing the video of Amir’s death, was that “he never got a chance to see or know who killed him.”

Locke’s parents said they also had plans for Amir to move to Dallas in about a month to better help him start his music and career pursuits before possibly coming back to Minneapolis.

Additionally, they thanked the community for their support and for joining their call for justice.

Locke’s parents and Storms are expected to speak again during a separate press conference Friday at 2 p.m. at Minneapolis City Hall.