Minnesota state prosecutors have announced that no charges will be filed against Officer Mark Hanneman of the Minneapolis PD for the murder of Amir Locke.
Despite having a Black Attorney General in Keith Ellison, his office has decided that their was not enough evidence to prove a murder, manslaughter, or really any wrongful actions taken by the Minneapolis SWAT in the slaying of the 22 year-old activist.
Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman’s office who refused to prosecute Dereck Chauvin in 2020 for the murder of George Floyd also concurred with Ellison in the assessment that no wrongdoing was committed by the Minneapolis PD. Further, both offices determined that Mark Hanneman was justified in firing his weapon at Locke as he awoke on his couch.
Karen Wells who is Locke’s mother said that she was “disgusted” by the decision.
“This is not over. You may have been found not guilty, but in the eyes of me, being the mother who I am, you are guilty,” Wells said. “And I’m not going to give up.”
Freeman and Ellison claim that there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hanneman violated any of the legal elements of the state statute governing when police can use deadly force.
So far no arrangements have been made for a selection of a special prosecutor to go after Hannemen, but community activist are already preparing to draft a letter to Governor Waltz, in order to request that a special prosecutor supersede Ellison and Freeman in not only this investigation but all future investigations involving murders of Black citizens by law enforcement.
Other activist are still in shock, particularly due to the fact that many of them believed Keith Ellison was in their corners. Others have been far more terse in their opinions of Ellison.
“He really let me down, I know he’s been funny style for the last few years but man he really let us down this time,” said Trei Gibbs, a Minneapolis community reparations activist, “It’s like he’s been off-code for a while now so this should’ve been no surprise but man, how does he look his family– his son in the eyes knowing he let a murder off and now he’s encouraged more violence against people that look like him. Its sick.”
Keith Ellison is up for reelection on November 8th, 2022. Mike Freeman has since sold his home thanks to the community giving him repeated visits, so he will not be running for reelection next year.
–Barrington Williams, B1Daily
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