Minneapolis officer who fatally shot Amir Locke now leads use-of-force training program, sparking outrage

The Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot 22-year-old Amir Locke during a controversial no-knock raid in 2022 has been promoted to lead the department’s use-of-force training program, reports Minnesota Public Radio. The promotion has ignited  renewed criticism from civil rights advocates and Locke’s family.

Minneapolis police officer Sgt. Mark Hanneman promoted after Amir Locke shooting

Sgt. Mark Hanneman, who shot Locke within nine seconds of entering a downtown apartment, was never criminally charged. Prosecutors cited insufficient evidence to prove he violated Minnesota’s use-of-force statute. Locke, a Black man and legal gun owner, was not a suspect in the investigation and was reportedly asleep on a couch when the SWAT team entered.

Promotion

Hanneman’s promotion to head trainer came seven months after the shooting and was confirmed by Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.

Chief O’Hara said he understands the concerns, but he believes the decision to have Hanneman lead use-of-force trainings will advance cultural change within the department.

Hanneman has since helped develop and implement new training curriculum mandated by the city’s settlement agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.

Shooting of Amir Locke

Body camera footage captures the moment a SWAT team entered an apartment on Feb. 2, 2022, where 22-year-old Amir Locke was sleeping on a couch under a blanket. Officers shouted commands and pointed firearms and flashlights before Locke, startled awake, reached for a legally owned handgun.

Amir Locke

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Officer Hanneman then fired three fatal shots. Video footage from the encounter shows Hanneman yelling, “He’s got a gun!” immediately after shooting.

Police had been executing a no-knock search warrant tied to a homicide investigation. Locke, who was not named in the warrant and had no criminal record, was not a suspect. An initial Minneapolis Police Department statement falsely suggested Locke was involved.

Locke’s death came less than two years after the murder of George Floyd and sparked renewed scrutiny of law enforcement’s use of no-knock warrants and tactics that critics say disproportionately endanger Black lives.

Outrage by the community

Community leaders and Locke’s family say the appointment undermines public trust and signals a failure to reckon with systemic issues in the department.

“If Hanneman is one of the best officers to become a training officer, why is my son Amir Locke not here?” said Locke’s mother, Karen Wells, according to MPR. “They show they don’t care. They show that this is our culture.”

The Minneapolis Police Department remains under scrutiny as it works to fulfill reform mandates following multiple high-profile police killings. Locke’s family continues to pursue a federal civil rights lawsuit against Hanneman and the city.