Nekima Levy Armstrong Demands Officer Who Killed Amir Locke Be Removed from Training Role
By Jasmine McBride
Civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong is calling on Mayor Jacob Frey to remove Sgt. Mark Hanneman from his leadership and training duties within MPD, calling his role “a betrayal of public trust.” Hanneman fatally shot 22-year-old Amir Locke during a no-knock raid in 2022 and now trains officers in use-of-force.
Community leaders call it a ‘betrayal of public trust’
Civil rights attorney and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong is calling on Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to remove Sgt. Mark Hanneman from any training or leadership role within the police department, after learning the officer who fatally shot 22-year-old Amir Locke in 2022 is now teaching use-of-force tactics to fellow officers.
In a scathing open letter sent Tuesday, Levy Armstrong condemned the city’s decision to promote and elevate Hanneman, who killed Locke during a no-knock SWAT raid. The letter called the move “a betrayal of public trust,” “a reopening of deep wounds,” and “a stain” on the mayor’s record.
Levy Armstrong wrote, “What message does it send when the officer who killed Amir Locke is promoted and given power to teach others how to use force?”
Locke, a DoorDash delivery driver with no criminal record, was not named in the warrant being served when police entered a downtown apartment on Feb. 2, 2022, where he was sleeping on a couch. Within nine seconds of an entry, Hanneman fatally shot him.
Attorney General Keith Ellison later declined to file charges in a joint announcement with Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman on April 6, 2022, but Locke’s family and many community members have continued to say the killing was unjustified.
The appointment has reignited outrage, especially among those directly impacted. Andre Locke, Amir’s father, reflected on his son’s death during a Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder panel held in May to mark the five-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder.
“His name wasn’t in your warrant, but his name is going to be in your law book,” Locke said of his son during the MSR-hosted event. “We weren’t prepared for what we were up against”. “When it all boiled down, I couldn’t teach my son how to survive while being asleep.
The audience gave Locke a standing ovation after his remarks”.
In her letter, Levy Armstrong demanded a full, independent investigation into whether Hanneman or others violated department policy and called for transparency around his promotion and current training responsibilities.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara addressed the controversy in a statement sent to the Spokesman-Recorder on July 18. He acknowledged the community pain caused by Locke’s death and said he was initially concerned when he learned of Hanneman’s training role.
“I gathered facts. I was told that he was an outstanding instructor and a tremendous asset,” O’Hara said.
According to the department, Hanneman began assisting as an instructor prior to 2022. In April of that year, he was assigned to teach Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) and Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics (ICAT). He was promoted to sergeant in September 2022. Since then, MPD says Hanneman helped craft the city’s new use-of-force policy and now leads training based on that curriculum.
“All of the feedback I have received has been consistent. His performance has been exceptional,” O’Hara said. “He has proven to be deeply committed to the reform process, and our officers see him as a credible messenger about why this department must change.”
Still, Levy Armstrong, who served as chair of Mayor Frey’s Community Safety Work Group in 2022, said the appointment contradicts the group’s recommendations. The work group had urged the city to stop assigning officers with histories of harm or controversy to training roles and to partner with external organizations with credibility in de-escalation and community policing.
“The people of Minneapolis deserve better,” Levy Armstrong wrote. “We deserve a mayor who keeps his word. We deserve a police department that values human life.”
Locke’s father echoed those sentiments in May, stating that the community’s fight for accountability is far from over.
“Justice is right in front of us,” Locke said. “It’s in unity, continuing to have these conversations, and holding our local leaders accountable to their roles.”
Mayor Jacob Frey has not yet responded to a request for comments.
