“Because all their lives they have kept an eye on what has been going on throughout this nation, on our black men,” she said.
The parents said the conversations with Amir and his older brother were often about how to interact with the police so he can “live to see another day.”
Early Wednesday, Locke was killed by Minneapolis police.
“Hands! Hands! Hands!” one officer shouts while others shout “Come on that fu ** ing ground!” as they walk towards the back of a sofa where a man is seen wrapped in blankets at 6:48 p.m., according to footage. An officer kicks back on the couch and appears to wake the man, who looks up to see the officers around him.
He begins to try to get up, still wrapped in blankets, and is seen, according to the footage, holding a gun. Then three shots are heard from officers.
“Our conversations go like this: ‘How are you, son? Keep an eye on your surroundings today, check your vehicle, make sure everything’s in order.
“If you’ll be stopped by the police, be sure to give them everything they need and live to see another day. Make sure you get home again.”
Wells said she was proud of Amir when he learned to use the weapon and got his permission. The one aspect that worried her was not whether he would use it in dangerous situations with civilians, but it was if the police saw him with it.
“But I was actually worried that he would bump into the police. And not in the way he bumped into them on February 2, but just if he had his weapon, if he was ever stopped and kept out in the side of The road … My fear has always been something that was about the police department, “she said.
More investigation for Minneapolis police
Minneapolis police have been under intense control following the murder of Floyd, a black man whose killing of a white MPD officer sparked national and global protests against police brutality – especially against black Americans.
Locke’s fatal shooting raised intense criticism from Locke’s family and others about Minneapolis’ arrest warrant policy.
“There are too many of us in our community who are dealing with this. There are too many in our community who continue to deal with the same type of harassment,” Andre Locke said. “It’s so sad that it’s happened again and now it’s hitting. It hurts.”
The verdict that led to Locke’s killing was related to a murder that was being investigated by the nearby St. Paul Police Department, a police spokesman said. Locke was not mentioned in any arrest warrant, police said.
It is not clear what is contained in the ruling, and Minneapolis officials have said that all the circumstances that led to their officer’s shooting are now under investigation by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Andre Locke pointed out that there are several members of the family who are in law enforcement, including a cousin who advised Amir on gun safety.
“We are not against police officers. We just want accountability,” he said.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison vowed to conduct a “fair and thorough” investigation, according to a statement.
“Amir Locke’s life meant something. He was only 22 years old and had his whole life ahead of him. His family and friends must now live the rest of their lives without him.”
No-knock orders have been a point of contention as to how police departments and cities choose to implement them.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced Friday night that he will temporarily ban police from seeking and executing no-knock orders – even though, like a similar police change over a year ago, it still allows for no-knock orders in certain situations.
The Minneapolis policy of Wednesday allowed “unannounced access” to high-risk orders that would “authorize officers to enter … without first knocking and announcing their presence or purpose.” A judge must indicate whether this is permitted.
The Minneapolis Police Department’s SWAT team is generally assumed to be used for “high-risk orders,” as determined by an internal risk assessment form.
The city’s ruling policy requires officers in most cases to announce “police” and “search warrant” before crossing the threshold of the door into a home, even on no-knock orders. However, a supervisor can decide if it would “create an imminent threat of physical harm” and can allow officers to enter without notice.
CNN’s Omar Jimenez, Ray Sanchez, Brad Parks, Peter Nickeas, Claudia Dominguez and Raja Razek contributed to this report.