By Tyler Clifford

(Reuters) – A Minnesota judge approved last week’s “no knock” raid to kill Amir Locke, who believed that the operation was required in order to protect investigating officers, court documents revealed on Thursday.

The warrant was requested by officers to search a Minneapolis apartment. They were looking into a fatal stabbing in St. Paul that involved the use of a gun capable of breaking through police body armor. The requesting officers stated that this justified no-knock entry in order to capture suspects off guard.

The court also found that no knock entry without an announcement of authority and purpose is required to prevent loss, destruction or removal of objects or protect the safety searchers and the public.” Peter Cahill, Hennepin County District Judge, said in a court document.

Locke, 22-years-old Black male, wasn’t named on the warrant. Minneapolis police also acknowledged that they were not sure if Locke was linked to this investigation.

The death of Taylor has rekindled calls for banning no-knock warrants. These were intensified after Breonna Taylor’s tragic death in 2020. This 26-year old Black woman was shot and killed by police during an raid at her Kentucky home. Taylor wasn’t the target of this search warrant.

Cahill was also the judge in the case against Derek Chauvin (ex-police officer from Minneapolis), who was convicted for the 2020 murder of George Floyd. The conviction spurred mass protests against police brutality and racial bias.