Amir Locke’s funeral: Mom says son was ‘executed,’ Sharpton delivers powerful eulogy

(MINNEAPOLIS) — The Rev. Al Sharpton delivered a powerful and emotional eulogy at Thursday’s funeral for Amir Locke, a 22-year-old who was shot and killed by Minneapolis police officers executing a “no-knock” search warrant.

Locke, who was fatally shot on Feb. 2, was not named in the “no-knock” warrant.

Body camera video showed officers executing the warrant and finding Locke, who didn’t live at the home, sleeping under a blanket on the couch. Locke was seen holding a gun as he sat up; he was shot less than 10 seconds after officers entered the room, still covered in the blanket.

Locke’s mother, Karen Wells, at the funeral said her son was “executed.”

“How dare you?” she said. “You’re not above the law.”

Locke’s parents vowed to fight for a law in their son’s name banning “no-knock” warrants and Sharpton promised to support Locke’s family, saying, “Amir was not guilty of anything but being young and Black in America.”

Sharpton drew a connection between the “no-knock” warrant and how many Black Americans have the last name that once belonged to their enslaved relatives’ masters.

“That’s why it didn’t matter that Amir’s name wasn’t on the warrant — ’cause we don’t have a right to a name in the eyes of some in this country. We are nameless suspects,” Sharpton said.

“We are no longer gonna be your nameless suspects,” Sharpton said. “Amir has a name. His name wasn’t on your warrant — but his name’s gonna be in your law book.”

Speaking to the officers, Locke’s aunt, Linda Tyler, said at the service, “You did have time to subdue him.”

“You had time to assess the situation … but you didn’t. So you don’t need further training — you need to be fired,” she said. “You ambushed my nephew, you took his life. And while he didn’t matter to you … he mattered to this whole family. He mattered to this community.”

Locke’s funeral was held at Shiloh Temple International Ministries in Minneapolis, the same church where a funeral was held last year for 20-year-old Daunte Wright. Wright was shot dead at a traffic stop by a Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, police officer who claimed she mistook her gun for a Taser. The officer was found guilty of both first- and second-degree manslaughter and is set to be sentenced on Friday.

Locke’s shooting remains under investigation.

Relatives of George Floyd and Botham Jean, who were also killed at the hands of police, attended Locke’s funeral.

ABC News’ Adia Robinson and Kendall Ross contributed to this report.

 

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.