Minneapolis police officer who shot Amir Locke now leads department’s use-of-force training

The Minneapolis police officer who killed Amir Locke during a no-knock raid at a downtown Minneapolis apartment three years ago is now a sergeant leading the department’s training in the use of force.

Sgt. Mark Hanneman’s appointment has sparked criticism from civil rights advocates, who say it’s a betrayal of public trust and a continuation of the institutional failures that led to Locke’s death.

In 2022, Hanneman shot and killed Locke within seconds of entering a downtown apartment on a no-knock SWAT raid. Locke, a 22-year-old Black man, wasn’t a suspect. He was sleeping when officers entered the apartment and kicked the couch. Locke, who had been wrapped in a blanket, reached for and raised a pistol in the direction of Hanneman before the officer shot him.

Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman declined to file charges against Hanneman for the shooting, saying there is not enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he violated Minnesota’s use-of-force statute. Locke’s family is pursuing a civil lawsuit against the city and Hanneman.

Hanneman was promoted to sergeant in September 2022, seven months after Locke’s death, and assigned to the training unit under Interim Chief Amelia Huffman, according a Minneapolis police spokesperson. His current role includes developing and teaching use-of-force training. In the ensuing years, he has worked to implement the department’s new use of force of policy required by the city’s police reform settlement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.

“The message that the MPD would like to convey to the community is that Sgt. Hanneman is a skilled trainer who has demonstrated commitment to reform,” the statement said. “The feedback from trusted partners—internal and external—has been clear: Sgt. Hanneman has delivered results in the training unit, helped implement policy change, and earned the respect of officers who need to hear reform messages from credible voices inside the department.”

The statement said that when Chief Brian O’Hara learned of Hanneman’s role, he reviewed the assignment and “based on input from internal leaders, officers, and external partners, Sgt. Hanneman was affirmed as a strong, credible, and effective instructor who has played an important role in advancing MPD’s reform work.”

At the time of Locke’s death, Mayor Jacob Frey had enacted restrictions on no-knock warrants, but not issued a full ban. The mayor imposed a moratorium in February 2022, following the shooting, and later announced a permanent policy requiring officers to knock and announce themselves for 20 to 30 seconds before entry, except in limited emergency circumstances.

The warrant that led to Locke’s killing had not been initiated by Minneapolis police, but by the St. Paul Police Department. The MPD voluntarily agreed to carry it out.

“Amir Locke was essentially executed upon awakening within nine seconds of the SWAT team entering that apartment,” said civil rights attorney and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, who on Thursday wrote an open letter to Frey decrying Hanneman’s assignment and demanding further action and investigation into the shooting. “They did not try to de-escalate the situation. They gave him no time to even process what was happening before Mark Hanneman opened fire on an innocent 22-year-old young man.”

Frey’s communications director, Ally Peters, said the mayor had no role in Hanneman’s appointment. Promotions and training assignments within MPD are handled internally, she said, and do not require sign-off from the mayor’s office. Peters further pointed out that Hanneman has been publicly recognized at events for his work in the training unit. Frey’s office has implemented many of the recommendations Levy Armstrong referenced in her letter through its Public Safety Workgroup and the MDHR settlement, Peters added.

Michelle Gross, founder and president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, said the move reflects a failure to confront the department’s core issues.

“We’ve got a police department that’s badly in need of a new culture,” Gross said. “And yet, the people they put in charge of training — which is not just about skills, but about setting the culture of the department, telling officers what’s acceptable and what isn’t — are people who reflect the old ways.”

City Council Member Robin Wonsley said the move immediately called to mind the MPD’s decision to make Derek Chauvin a field training officer prior to Chauvin’s killing of George Floyd.

Wonsley, who said many of her constituents only learned about the appointment through the media, said the lack of transparency has deepened public distrust.

“My residents found out through media releases — turning on their local radio station or picking up a newspaper and reading that, oh, MPD has repeated a pattern that was already identified as leading to a racist and violent policing department under the MDHR investigative report,” she said. “There’s been frustration around the fact that even in light of the chief and Mayor Frey being made aware of these concerns, they’re still doubling down and saying that this individual is the best fit.”

Wonsley noted that the City Council does not have authority over MPD personnel decisions.

Referencing Hanneman’s role in ongoing Department of Human Rights reforms, the MPD statement maintained “the interests of the community and MPD are advanced by Sgt. Hanneman’s work in the training unit.”

“We remain committed to transforming the MPD—through clear standards, accountability, community trust, and officers who believe in change,“ the statement said. ”In the last few years, MPD’s training protocols have already undergone major changes through our work with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and the Independent Evaluator. That work is ongoing and shaped by community input. We’re open to continued dialogue, and if credible new concerns arise, we will evaluate and respond.”