Urban League Leaders Condemn Minneapolis Police Shooting and City's Initial Response

NEW YORK and MINNEAPOLIS (February 6, 2022) – National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial and Urban League Twin Cities President and CEO Steven Belton issued the following joint statement regarding the fatal shooting of Amir Locke by Minneapolis Police Officer Mark Hanneman:

“Amir’s death is not simply a tragic mistake; it is the direct result of policies, procedures, and attitudes that the Urban League and other advocates have fought for years to eliminate.  The grief Amir’s family and community are experiencing is deepened by the sense of indifference on the part of police and city officials.

“It’s hard to believe police are still engaging in this kind of conduct,  nearly two years after police killed Breonna Taylor in the botched execution of a no-knock warrant, and the murder of George Floyd drew national attention to police mistreatment of citizens of color.

“Mayor Frey’s imposition of a moratorium on no-knock warrants only serves to highlight the emptiness of the police department’s November 2020 announcement that the practice would be drastically restricted, and Mayor Frey’s own claims to have banned no-knock warrants in almost all cases.

“Rather than immediately acknowledge the missteps that led to Amir’s tragic shooting, the department set about demonizing an innocent man, falsely identifying him as a ‘suspect’ and claiming he pointed the gun at an officer, which the body cam video refutes.

“The people of Minneapolis deserve better than lip service and empty promises.  Such a flagrant disregard for proper procedure even as the department is under a federal pattern and practice investigation is a serious red flag. We will closely monitor the investigation into this fatal shooting and insist on holding police and city officials responsible for their conduct.

“Our deepest sympathy is with Amir’s family and we stand with those peacefully protesting for meaningful change.”