No Charges in Fatal Shooting of Amir Locke, Killed by Minneapolis Police During No-Knock Raid

No charges will be filed in the fatal shooting of Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man who was killed by Minneapolis police during a no-knock warrant raid in February.

Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced in a statement Wednesday they are declining to file criminal charges.

After a review of the evidence, "there is insufficient admissible evidence to file criminal charges in this case," the statement said. It added they could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that police officer Mark Hanneman, who shot Locke, violated the state's use-of-deadly-force statute that authorizes police use of force.

Hanneman shot Locke three times during the predawn raid. At the time of his killing, Locke was not a criminal suspect, nor was he mentioned in the warrant. Ellison's statement says, "Amir Locke was not a suspect, he was a victim."

The statement also said that prosecutors could also not "prove beyond a reasonable doubt a criminal charge against any other officer involved in the decision-making that led to the death of Amir Locke."

"We recognize the deep loss felt by Amir Locke's family and those who loved and knew him best, as well as the profound grief in our community," Amelia Huffman, interim chief of the Minneapolis Police Department, told PEOPLE in a statement. "Officers never want to face split-second decisions that end in the loss of life. I'm thankful for the commitment of our men and women who faithfully provide police service every day, steadfast in their response in the face of danger. We do, and we must, ask much of our officers — not only to act with courage, but also with compassion and character."

Huffman continued: "It is vitally important that the Department provide the training, equipment and policy support necessary for them to carry out their work, mitigating the risks to community members and officers as we work together toward a safer and more peaceful City."

Jeff Storms, an attorney for Locke's family, tells PEOPLE, "The family is disappointed, but really deep in resolve to make sure Amir's death saves other lives. We really hope the community sees this as a need for more action. The response from the community should not be that this declination of prosecution means that nothing wrong happened. It should really remind all of us that we need to fight even harder to protect, in particular communities of color, and ensure that they receive equity in accountability and justice."

In a statement, Locke's attorneys said, "The tragic death of this young man, who was not named in the search warrant and had no criminal record, should never have happened."

Killed in No-Knock Raid for Warrant that Didn't Involve Him

Locke was shot on Feb. 2 as he attempted to sit up on a couch in his friend's living room, where he had been lying down, according to body camera footage released by the city. The footage shows Locke's body wrapped in a comforter, and a gun is in his hand.

Huffman said at the time that the department's SWAT team officers were attempting to execute a no-knock search warrant as part of a St. Paul murder investigation.

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A no-knock warrant is a controversial police practice allowing officers to enter a premises without knocking or announcing their presence or purpose.

According to the statement released by prosecutors Wednesday, officers yelled at Locke to "show your hands" and "get on the ground" as they entered the apartment. Locke, according to the statement, was under the blanket holding a gun "that was initially held parallel to the ground before being dropped to about a 45-degree angle, then being raised again in the direction of Officer Hanneman. Officer Hanneman then fired three shots, killing Mr. Locke. Minnesota law authorizes peace officers to use deadly force while in the line of duty."

"With this legal standard in mind, after entering the apartment on a judicially authorized search warrant, the officers encountered an individual unknown to them, later identified as Amir Locke, who was moving around under a blanket and held out a firearm that was pointed in the direction of at least one officer. This constitutes a specifically articulable threat. Officer Hanneman perceived that Mr. Locke's movements and production of a firearm presented a threat of death or great bodily harm that was reasonably likely to occur and to which the officers had to respond without delay."

"In reaching a decision about whether to file criminal charges in this case, it was not the role of our offices to evaluate whether the decision to seek a no-knock warrant was appropriate," says the statement. "It was our role to review whether there is sufficient admissible evidence to support a criminal charge."

Plans to Move, and Start Clothing Line

At the time of his death, Locke was planning to move to Dallas to be closer to his mother.

His mother, Karen Wells, previously told PEOPLE that her son had plans to start his own clothing line.

"I helped him purchase his LLC and he was starting his own clothing line, and it was titled Saving the Youth," she said. "He felt like this country was going in the wrong direction. And therefore, in order for you to tap into saving a child before they turn into an adult, you have to start when they're young. And that's why he wanted to cater to the youth. You have to start them young. That's what he believed in. And then that way they won't have to grow up no matter what their environment is. It doesn't have to reflect on who they become."

Locke had been in Minneapolis just three months when he was killed.

"He wanted to spend more time with his younger siblings and also with myself and also with some of the other family, but mainly myself," his father, Andre Locke, told PEOPLE.

To help combat systemic racism, consider learning from or donating to these organizations:

• Campaign Zero works to end police brutality in America through research-proven strategies.
• ColorofChange.org works to make the government more responsive to racial disparities.
• National Cares Mentoring Movement provides social and academic support to help Black youth succeed in college and beyond.