Minneapolis police officer who killed Amir Locke reassigned from use of force instructor to wellness unit
Minneapolis police Chief Brian O'Hara on Friday reassigned the officer behind the controversial killing of a Black man from training other officers how to use force to the city's new wellness unit, officials said.
The move comes three days after community activists called for Sgt. Mark Hanneman to be removed from instructing "use of force" training. He was originally set to be an instructor through August.
"We have been working relentlessly to reform our policing practices while repairing community relationships and trust in our department," O'Hara said in a written statement on Friday. "We can't afford to have anything distract from that progress. After speaking with Sgt. Hanneman, Mayor [Jacob] Frey, and Commissioner [Toddrick] Barnette, we determined that a reassignment was the right decision."
Hanneman shot and killed Amir Locke during a no-knock raid at a downtown Minneapolis apartment in 2022.
"It's like they're trying to erase what happened to my son — to promote the man who took Amir's life and put him in a position of leadership is beyond disrespectful," Amir Locke's father, Andre Locke, said on Tuesday. "It's more than a slap in the face. It's so hard to turn the other cheek. It's a blatant disrespect to our entire community... We want truth, transparency, and real accountability — not cover-ups and closed-door promotions."
During Tuesday's press conference, community groups called on the city to immediately remove Hanneman from any training or leadership position.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said in a statement Tuesday that Hanneman's work was reviewed and approved by the city's independent evaluator.
"What he does next will continue to be based on the needs of the department and our continued goal to build community trust," O'Hara said Tuesday.
While prosecutors declined to criminally charge Hanneman in Amir Locke's death, federal judges recently ruled that a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Amir Locke's family against Minneapolis and Hanneman can move forward despite the city's appeal.
Hanneman is accused of violating Amir Locke's Fourth Amendment rights to be free from unreasonable seizures, while the city is accused of not properly training its officers. The court also ruled Hanneman is not entitled to qualified immunity.
Amir Locke's death prompted calls for an overhaul in search warrant application and execution in the city, including a ban on no-knock warrants. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey limited the practice, with room for exceptions, following the shooting, though he had falsely claimed he had "banned" no-knock warrants during his reelection campaign months before.