No Knock Warrants being Revised in Minneapolis

Authorities have released the no-knock search warrants for the raid that led to 22 year old Amri Locke's killing earlier this month -- and the documents show St. Paul police argued the controversial method was the safest way to execute their search, for both officers and suspects.

"A no-knock warrant enables officers to execute the warrant more safely by allowing officers to make entry into the apartment without alerting the suspects inside. This will not only increase officer safety, but it will also decrease the risk for injuries to the suspects and other residents nearby," St. Paul police Sgt. Dan Zebro wrote in his warrant application.

Police requested those warrants as they zeroed in on a Minneapolis apartment building in their hunt for suspects -- including Locke's cousin who killed someone -- and evidence connected to a St. Paul homicide. Locke was not named in any of the warrants and his family has now called for warrants to end.

The search warrant applications, made public Thursday, were approved by Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill, the same judge who over Derek Chauvin trial concerning George Floyd

• A 10-page application for a no-knock warrant for the apartment Locke was sleeping in said officers believed this was the safest option and that their "investigative activities" supported a no-knock entry. That's because police had reviewed the suspects' criminal histories and "reports relating to crimes" they were allegedly involved with and saw social media videos "where the suspects (were) posting videos and pictures while holding firearms," Zebro wrote.