Shivani Tanna, Shubham Kalia and Shubham Kalia

(Reuters] -Minnesota Mayor Jacob Frey has announced a moratorium in no-knock warrants. This follows the fatal shooting of a Black man aged 22 during a raid on his apartment.

Minneapolis Police Department has released video footage and still images showing Amir Locke holding a gun while he was covered in a blanket by officers. They entered the apartment Wednesday morning to execute a search warrant.

Police officers can enter property with a no-knock warrant without having to knock and announce their presence.

Frey released a statement saying that she was issuing an emergency moratorium to prevent the execution or request for such warrants from being executed in Minneapolis.

Minneapolis’ police are now under fire for this latest incident.

George Floyd was an unarmed Black man who was shot and killed almost two years ago by a white police officer. He knelt down on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes while making an arrest. Floyd’s tragic death spurred a national protest against bias and police brutality within the U.S. Criminal Justice System.

On Thursday’s video, Locke was arrested by police. The footage shows Locke in his apartment being unlocked with a key. Officers shouted, “Police! Search warrant!” when they got inside.

The officer kicks Locke on the couch, and Locke then turns around to see an arm emerge from underneath the blanket showing that he has a gun in his hand. Police fired three shots almost immediately.

Locke wasn’t named in the warrant. It was related to an investigation into homicide that was being conducted by Saint Paul Police Department. Amelia Huffman, interim chief of Minneapolis Police Department said Thursday.

Locke’s parents described their son, Floyd, as a gifted musician and a beloved member of their community. They also spoke out at Friday’s news conference with Ben Crump (a prominent civil rights lawyer), who represented Floyd’s family.

Karen Locke Locke said her mother Karen Locke that “I am going to fight every single day, through the day, and 365 days to make sure Amir Rahkare Locke is executed by the MPD.” “We will make sure we stand up for Amir.

The Minneapolis Police Department released a statement Wednesday stating that the suspect had a handgun pointed at officers.

Huffman stated that the county attorney would review the facts during a Thursday news conference. He was responding to questions about whether the video showed Locke’s gun pointed towards the floor.

Huffman explained that if a gun is pointed in your direction, it forces you to take a quick decision as to whether or not it poses a threat.

Huffman commented on the search warrant for the homicide probe and said that it was unclear how or if the man had been connected to Saint Paul’s investigations.

Additionally, she said that Saint Paul’s Police Department officers were on the spot later in the day and could have recovered evidence relevant to the investigation into the homicide.

The family lawyers stated that Locke was innocent of any criminal offenses and had a legal firearm in his possession at the time of Locke’s death.

“In response to George Floyd and Breonna T Taylor, Minneapolis stated that the City of Minneapolis was restricting the use of no knock warrants in order to limit the possibility of poor outcomes. Amir Locke, his family and friends were left with the most devastating outcome two years later,” Jeff Storms (another lawyer who represented Locke in this case) said in a statement.

Taylor, a Black female, was gunned down and murdered in March 2020 when her Kentucky apartment was raided by armed police. Floyd was murdered in May 2020.