Minnesota police that carried out the raid that ended in the shooting death of Amir Locke argued to a judge that a "no-knock" entry would be safer, according to a newly released search warrant.
The warrant released on Thursday by the Hennepin County District Court allowed authorities to execute the February 2 no-knock apartment search in which Locke, a 22-year-old Black man, was shot dead by a SWAT officer in the early morning hours of February 2.
The application for the warrant, which was secured by the Saint Paul Police Department in connection with a homicide case, argued that a nighttime search and no-knock raid was "necessary to prevent the loss, destruction, or removal of the objects of the search, or to protect the safety of the searchers or the public."
It also said that 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," the application said.
Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill — the same judge who presided over the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin— approved the warrant.
Locke was never named in the warrants.
Cahill had previously approved a warrant for the same apartment, but police sought additional approval days later to allow them to enter without warning the occupants first.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.