Prosecutor drops the case against the police officer accused of killing a black man in the USA

The Minnesota attorney general announced Wednesday that he will not press charges against the officer accused of killing a black man during an operation in Minneapolis, concluding that there is no evidence that the officer had broken the law.

Chief Locke, 22, was murdered by a police officer who was executing a “no hit” arrest warrant issued during a murder investigation.

The man’s family had condemned an “execution”, accusing the agents of “not giving a chance” to their son.

“After a thorough examination of all the elements available … there is insufficient evidence admissible to initiate legal action in this case,” U.S. Attorney Keith Ellison said in a statement.

In an official video released a few days after the incident, a police officer uses a key to enter the house, and shortly after, a group of policemen enter screaming. Locke is seen moving under a blanket on the living room sofa, gun in hand. At that moment gunshots are heard. The video is less than nine seconds long.

The prosecutor stated that other videos recorded by the body cameras of the other officers present showed that the gun was “pointed in the direction of the officer shooting”.

The family, through their attorney Ben Crump, said they were “deeply disappointed” by the decision and declared that Locke’s “tragic death” “should never have happened”. The lawyer announced that he will file a civil lawsuit in the case.

“A young man died,” the prosecutor added, but “we cannot prosecute anyone because the public wants it that way.”

“No knock” arrest warrants are directly linked to incidents of police brutality against the black community in the country, and Minnesota restricted its use after anti-racism protests in the summer of 2020.

After the second lawsuit, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced the immediate suspension of such orders in the city.