The White House is considering expanding a federal policy that puts limits on no-knock warrants after the fatal shooting of Amir Locke, The Grio reports. According to the outlet, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki discussed the potential policy change while addressing the media on Monday (Feb. 7).
In light of Locke’s death, Psaki said the White House is considering extending federal limits on no-knock warrants to federal agents. Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice said no-knock entries could only be used in “situations where an agent has reasonable grounds to believe that knocking and announcing the agent’s presence would create an imminent threat of physical violence to the agent and/or another person.”
The press secretary reiterated that the policy is “limited to federal agents,” such as the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and cannot be applied to local law enforcement agencies. Expanding the policy would mean extending its reach to other federal agencies, such as Homeland Security.
“The president is committed to ensuring fair, impartial and effective policing and keeping our communities safe,” Psaki said Monday. “These goals go hand-in-hand and are, in his view, with what we can achieve by building trust between the police and communities they serve.”
“We mourn the tragic death of Amir Locke and our thoughts and prayers are with his family,” she added.
As reported by REVOLT, Locke, a 22-year-old Black man; was sleeping on a couch when a SWAT team entered the apartment building he was in to serve a no-knock warrant. Locke’s name was not listed on the warrant nor did he live at the building; his family says he was staying with a relative.
Body camera footage from the incident shows Locke was wrapped in a blanket on the couch when officers arrived and was holding a gun, which his family says he was licensed to carry. Seconds after opening the door, an officer fatally shot Locke three times.
In the aftermath of Locke’s death, the Minneapolis City Council also held a hearing about the future of no-knock warrants in the city on Monday after Mayor Jacob Frey put a temporary ban on them.