Minneapolis

Police officer who killed Amir Locke is reassigned from leading use-of-force training

Minneapolis police confirmed that Thursday was Sgt. Mark Hanneman’s last day in the job. He had been expected to move next month.

By Elliot Hughes

The Minnesota Star Tribune

July 28, 2025 at 7:53PM

More than 100 cars drove in a car caravan through downtown Minneapolis to protest the shooting death of Amir Locke by police Sgt. Mark Hanneman in 2022. (Renée Jones Schneider/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Minneapolis police officer who killed Amir Locke during a no-knock raid has been removed as leader of the department’s use-of-force training unit, ahead of his expected August reassignment date.

Sgt. Mark Hanneman’s appointment to the training position drew criticism from many community members, who argued he had broken the public’s trust and was unfit for such a leadership position.

Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Tuesday that Hanneman would be moved to an unspecified role in August. But on Friday, officials said his last day with the training unit was Thursday and he had been reassigned to the department’s new officer wellness unit.

Sgt. Garrett Parten, a department spokesman, said the decision was made after discussions by O’Hara, Mayor Jacob Frey and Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette on “the impact on community trust.”

After the talks, O’Hara said in a statement, they decided it was best to reassign Hanneman.

“We have been working relentlessly to reform our policing practices while repairing community relationships and trust in our department. We can’t afford to have anything distract from that progress,” the chief said.

Moving Hanneman to the wellness role, he said, allows him “to continue supporting the department’s progress while also acknowledging the importance of maintaining community trust.”

Hanneman will help build the new wellness team, which is aimed at supporting officer health and well-being through peer support programs and other initiatives.

In 2022, Hanneman shot and killed Locke after entering a downtown apartment during a no-knock SWAT team raid to execute a search warrant related to a homicide.

Locke, a 22-year-old Black man, was not a suspect and was asleep when officers entered the residence. On waking up, he reached for a pistol and raised it in Hanneman’s direction, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman did not file charges against Hanneman, citing a lack of evidence that the officer violated a state statute regarding police use of force.