Notice of Press Conference on Thursday, 07/03 at 11 am at Hennepin County Gov't Center
July 2, 2025
MEDIA ADVISORY
Media Contact: Nekima Levy Armstrong
Email: nekimalevyarmstrong@gmail.com
Phone: 612-598-0559
Black Parents and Community Leaders to Hold Press Conference in Response to Recent Gun Violence
Minneapolis, MN — On Thursday, July 3rd at 11:00 a.m., a coalition of Black parents, youth-serving organizations, and community members will hold a press conference at the Hennepin County Government Center to raise urgent concerns about the recent surge in gun violence impacting local families.
In the past several weeks, multiple young Black women—some of them mothers—have been murdered at public gatherings, including parks. Most recently, a Black child was shot and killed near a park, deepening the grief and trauma experienced by the community.
“Parks should be safe spaces for children and families to gather, play, and enjoy life,” said Nekima Levy Armstrong, civil rights attorney and founder of the Racial Justice Network. “Instead, we are seeing these spaces become sites of violence and tragedy. Enough is enough.”
Raeisha Williams, Executive Director of Guns Down Love Up, added:
“We are burying Black women and men while those in power bury their responsibility. This isn’t just a public safety failure—it’s a moral one. Our lives are being sacrificed while gun traffickers roam free. We don’t need more thoughts and prayers—we need action and accountability.”
Satara Strong-Allen, Executive Director of Love First, emphasized the importance of healing over harm:
“It’s time to break the cycle. We must teach and practice conflict resolution and restorative approaches to heal our communities—rather than internalize white supremacist ideologies that condition us to meet harm with more harm.”
Gun violence continues to be a crisis in Black communities, leaving behind devastation, fear, and countless unsolved cases. In response, organizers will issue a heartfelt plea:
- To young people: Put the guns down. The harm and loss are too great to ignore.
- To parents and caregivers: Stay vigilant about your children’s whereabouts and peer groups—especially with the Fourth of July weekend approaching.
- To public officials: Crack down on gun traffickers who are flooding our streets with illegal weapons and fueling the violence claiming our loved ones.
WHAT: Press Conference on Gun Violence in the Black Community
WHEN: Thursday, July 3, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: Main lobby, Hennepin County Government Center
ADDRESS: 300 S. 6th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415
WHO:
- Racial Justice Network
- Guns Down Love Up
- Love First
- Black Lives Matter Minnesota
- Parents, youth advocates, and community members
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Target’s Role in Prosecutorial Harm and Mass Incarceration in Minneapolis and Hennepin County
A Receipts Brief to Accompany the Open Letter to the National Baptist Convention
Prepared by frontline organizers in Minneapolis | June 26, 2025
1. Target Funded the Prosecutors Who Over-Policed Black Youth
For years, Target Corporation directly funded the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) under County Attorneys Amy Klobuchar and Mike Freeman. These funds were earmarked for “community prosecution” and “retail crime,” but disproportionately resulted in the criminalization of poor Black neighborhoods in Minneapolis.
At the same time, Target developed close relationships with Minneapolis Police (MPD) through surveillance partnerships like SafeZone, sharing private security footage, and helping fund downtown policing strategies that targeted Black youth and homeless people.
Bottom Line: Target used its wealth and power to demand criminal convictions, fund surveillance-heavy partnerships, and disproportionately criminalize Black communities. Target was not a passive donor. It helped design and promote these prosecutorial initiatives in partnership with local law enforcement.
2. Black Children Were Caught in the Crosshairs:
Target’s financial and strategic influence helped fuel a system that over-criminalized and incarcerated Black teens.
Three Known Cases of Harm
Myon Burrell
- Arrested at age 16 in a high-profile case during Klobuchar’s term as County Attorney.
- Convicted despite lack of physical evidence, with the case later deemed deeply flawed.• Sentence commuted in 2020 after public outcry, organizing, and investigative reporting by the Associated Press.
- Myon served 18 years in prison and is now seeking full exoneration.
Mahdi Ali
- Arrested at 15 years old, and tried as an adult—sentenced to life in prison.
- Target’s influence extended to the trial, where a so-called forensic expert with ties to the company provided key testimony.
- Mahdi’s trial was marred by unreliable evidence and public outcry over wrongful conviction.
- A national campaign is underway to Free Mahdi Ali, now over a decade into a sentence for a crime he did not commit.
Marvin Haynes
- Convicted at age 17 after a deeply flawed case; eyewitness recanted; no physical evidence.
- Served 20 years in prison before his conviction was overturned in 2023.
- Awarded financial compensation after full exoneration.
These three young Black men are not isolated examples—they are emblematic of a system that Target helped fund and shape.
Between the 1990s and early 2000s:
- Prosecutorial practices in Hennepin County ramped up youth sentencing.
- Black boys were tried as adults and subjected to life-altering punishments.
- Surveillance and criminalization in downtown and North Minneapolis intensified.
From 1983 to 2018, Minnesota’s prison population grew by 306%, with Black residents incarcerated at 10× the rate of white residents.
3. The Political Payoff: From County Prosecutor to U.S. Senate
Amy Klobuchar’s aggressive prosecutorial record, bolstered by Target’s support, became a springboard for her political rise to the U.S. Senate. She built her reputation on being “tough on crime,” using cases like Myon Burrell’s to prove her credentials. It was not until public outcry that the flaws of her legacy were fully exposed.
Meanwhile, Black families and communities were left behind to deal with the consequences.
4. Target’s Alliance with MPD and Harsh Prosecutors
This is not a story of passive corporate philanthropy. This is a story of intentional influence over the justice system. Target helped fund and shape policing strategies in Minneapolis, including its controversial SafeZone program in downtown Minneapolis and surveillance partnerships with the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD)—that same department that murdered George Floyd.
MPD has a well-documented history of:
- Racial profiling
- Excessive force
- Illegal stops and searches
- Abuses targeting Black youths and residents
Target’s partnership and financial investments legitimized and empowered this institution, even
as communities called for change.
Why This Matters Now
Target has never:
- Apologized to the families impacted
- Acknowledged its role in unjust prosecutions
- Taken accountability for the harm it funded and enabled
Instead, it has pivoted to DEI rollbacks and political payoffs—attempting to buy back Black trust with a $300,000 donation to the National Baptist Convention. As frontline leaders, we are demanding accountability—not just for what Target promised in 2020, but for what it enabled long before. The National Baptist Convention, and all Black institutions, must reckon with the full weight of this truth before aligning with any corporation that has caused this level of racial harm.
This Is About More Than Retail
This is about corporate complicity in mass incarceration and the systemic targeting of Black youth. Target’s complicity in mass incarceration is not just bad PR---it is a civil and human rights crisis.
- Black children were caged.
- Black families were torn apart.
- Black communities were devastated.
This was done with corporate backing, behind the scenes, in the very city where George Floyd was murdered.
We demand truth. We demand accountability. We demand justice that cannot be bought.
Citations
1. Target’s Funding of the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office
Unicorn Riot – Target’s Relationship with Law Enforcement and Prosecutors
2. Myon Burrell Case
Associated Press – AP investigation casts doubt on teenager’s murder conviction
https://apnews.com/article/af6545f2945e43c2bd3c61e886907d4a
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder – Burrell family, activists push for full exoneration
https://spokesman-recorder.com/2021/10/13/myon-burrell-family-supporters-push-for-exoneration/
The Marshall Project – Klobuchar’s tough-on-crime legacy under scrutiny
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2020/02/28/the-burrell-affair
3. Marvin Haynes Case
CBS News – Marvin Haynes exonerated after nearly 20 years in prison
MPR News – Marvin Haynes awarded $1.2M after exoneration
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/12/19/marvin-haynes-awarded-compensation
4. Mahdi Ali Case
Unicorn Riot – Target-backed forensic testimony
FOX 9 – Family pushes for exoneration
https://www.fox9.com/news/mahdi-alis-family-ups-pressure-exoneration-2010-seward-market-killings
FOX 9 – "I’m Not the One" Interview
https://www.fox9.com/news/mahdi-ali-im-not-the-one.amp
5. Target’s Partnership with MPD + Prosecutors
DOJ Report (2023) – MPD’s history of racism and abuse
https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1544536/download
Minnesota Reformer – Target’s SafeZone and surveillance partnerships
6. Incarceration Trends in Minnesota
Prison Policy Initiative – Minnesota Overview
https://www.prisonpolicy.org/profiles/MN.html
ACLU of Minnesota – Racial Disparities in Sentencing
https://www.aclu-mn.org/en/publications/unequal-justice
Open Letter to the National Baptist Convention
Open Letter to the National Baptist Convention
June 26, 2025
To the Leadership of the National Baptist Convention:
We write to you out of sacred responsibility and in the spirit of truth.
As Black, faith-rooted organizers and civil rights leaders based in Minneapolis—the very city where police stole George Floyd’s life—we have led the fight for racial justice, police accountability, and corporate responsibility before, during, and after the global uprisings of 2020.
On January 28, 2025, we—Nekima Levy Armstrong, Monique Cullars-Doty, and Jaylani Hussein—issued a national press release announcing a nationwide and indefinite boycott of Target, to begin on February 1, the first day of Black History Month. We launched the boycott with a press conference outside Target’s global headquarters in downtown Minneapolis—the very city where its betrayal began. Our action drew national press and a powerful, multiracial coalition.
Since then, the boycott has been successful, resulting in months of declining revenue and foot traffic, among other indicators. It has also inspired a wave of economic resistance actions across communities (i.e. The Latino Freeze, 40-Day Target Fast, Tesla Takedown, and actions by The People’s Union USA) and successfully pressured other corporations to recommit to DEI to avoid similar fallout.
We launched this boycott because Target quietly abandoned its $2.1 billion commitment to racial equity—a pledge made in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder to support Black-owned businesses, creators, and communities. Instead, the company eliminated diversity roles, severed ties with Black vendors, and dismantled its internal DEI infrastructure.
These rollbacks came amid mounting political pressure from the Trump administration, whose second term has accelerated attacks on Black history, racial equity, immigrant rights, voting rights, public education, dismantling DEI and civil rights offices across federal agencies, and reinstating aggressive federal policing support and militarization. Target’s alignment with authoritarian power was made even clearer when it made its first-ever donation to a presidential inaugural committee—contributing $1 million to the Trump-Vance inauguration.
But Target’s betrayal goes deeper.
Target has also played a disturbing role in reinforcing mass incarceration, particularly in Minneapolis and Hennepin County. For years, Target funded the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, working closely with former prosecutors Amy Klobuchar and Mike Freeman, and promoting a “tough-on-crime” agenda that disproportionately criminalized Black youth. That same office collaborated with the Minneapolis Police Department—a department known for its brutality and systemic racism, the very one that killed George Floyd.
This agenda helped produce several high-profile wrongful convictions of Black teenagers, including:
- Myon Burrell, convicted at 16 and imprisoned for over 18 years before his sentence was commuted in 2020 after investigative reporting by the Associated Press and an intense public campaign by Minneapolis activists demanding his release. He is now seeking full exoneration.
- Marvin Haynes, convicted in 2005 at age 16 for a murder he did not commit, based on a flawed process and coerced testimony. After spending nearly 20 years behind bars, he was fully exonerated in 2023 and later awarded a financial settlement for his unjust imprisonment.
- Mahdi Ali, arrested at 15 and sentenced to life in prison under deeply contested circumstances. His case involved junk science, questionable expert testimony, and heavy prosecutorial pressure. He has maintained his innocence for over a decade.
These are not isolated cases. They are part of a broader pattern of over-prosecution, harsh sentencing, and racial targeting—all backed by a corporate sponsor that profited while young Black lives were stolen. And yet, Target has never acknowledged its role. It has not apologized. It has not made amends.
Instead of meeting with the organizers of this boycott, Target has turned to familiar PR tactics: platforming figures like Pastor Jamal Bryant and Rev. Al Sharpton—neither of whom had any involvement in launching the boycott—as the public face of a movement they did not build.
Let us be clear, Pastor Jamal Bryant was fully aware of our boycott from the beginning. He received our press release and expressed interest in joining a coalition effort. But when it became clear that he intended to co-opt, rather than support, he was confronted—and responded with gaslighting and misdirection.
Over a month after our launch, Bryant repackaged our work as his own, created a separate campaign called the “40 Day Target Fast,” and misled the public and the press. He did not amplify our work. He erased it.
This is not a misunderstanding—it is misrepresentation.
And it reflects a long, painful history of Black women organizers being pushed aside, their labor claimed by male leaders seeking visibility or political favor. This is a painful and familiar pattern. Just as Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, Septima Clark, and Diane Nash were sidelined during the Civil Rights Movement, Black women organizers today continue to face erasure, co-optation, and disrespect—even within our own institutions.
A Call to Conscience
We urge the National Baptist Convention to reconsider its alignment with a corporation that has caused such profound harm.
Target has:
- Rolled back its public commitments to Black communities,
- Funded and enabled the mass incarceration of Black youth,
- Aligned itself with authoritarian politics and the Trump administration,
This $300,000 payment does not heal—it deepens the wound. It appears to be a payout for silence and an attempt to regain Black consumer trust without accountability. Can the moral authority of the Black Church be bought for $300,000?
Who does the National Baptist Convention answer to—God, or corporations that bow to authoritarian leaders?
We are not here to be placated.
We are not here to be silenced.
We are here because justice requires truth. And the truth must be told—by those who carry its weight, not those sent to soften its edge.
The future of our people cannot be brokered behind closed doors. We will not allow it.
We call on the National Baptist Convention to:
- Return the $300,000 payment from Target as a public act of moral leadership.
- Refuse to act as intermediaries for corporations seeking image repair without accountability.
- Reject the corporate erasure of grassroots Black leadership—past and present.
- Demand a full reinstatement of Target’s racial equity commitments.
- Call for an official apology from Target to Black communities harmed by their actions.
- Support the release and full exoneration of those unjustly imprisoned—including Mahdi Ali—whose case reflects the brutal toll of corporate-funded prosecution.
In truth and solidarity,
Nekima Levy Armstrong
Civil Rights Attorney | Founder, Racial Justice Network | Former Minneapolis NAACP President
Monique Cullars-DotyCo-founder, Black Lives Matter Minnesota | National Racial Justice Organizer
Jaylani Hussein
Executive Director, CAIR-Minnesota | Human Rights Advocate
Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman were wrong in deciding not to bring charges against Minneapolis police officer Mark Hanneman in the killing of Amir Locke
Media Contact–
MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 6, 2022
Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman were wrong in deciding not to bring charges against Minneapolis police officer Mark Hanneman in the killing of Amir Locke
Minneapolis, Minnesota
We are appalled at the decision made by Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman to not charge Mark Hanneman with murder for the shooting and killing of Amir Locke. On February 2, 2022, Amir Locke was shot and killed by Mark Hanneman within nine seconds of police officers executing a no-knock warrant on the apartment where he was sleeping. Amir Locke was not the subject of the warrant and was not a suspect.
“The justice system continues to demonstrate that it does not value the lives of Black men and systematically chooses to not hold police officers accountable when they traumatize, hurt, and kill Black men without justification, said Nekima Levy Armstrong, attorney and founder of the Racial Justice Network. “This is yet another heinous example that proves Minnesota does not believe that Black Lives Matter.
The circumstances that led to the killing of Amir Locke on February 2 should never have existed. The Attorney General and Hennepin County Attorney acknowledged this fact. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey had previously told the community that he had banned no-knock warrants. He lied and as a result Amir Locke is dead.
Yesterday, the mayor released yet again another “ban” on no knock warrants with significant loopholes including if MPD believes that destruction of evidence may occur if they wait to enter a property. Additionally, the new policy does not describe a mechanism that will monitor the adherence to the new policy. It is understandable that we have a lack of trust in this mayor.
The Racial Justice Network demands the following:
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Mayor Jacob Frey fire officer Mark Hanneman and all other officers involved in this “banned” no-knock warrant;
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The city of Minneapolis conduct an after-action review regarding this incident to determine which, if any, MPD policies were violated and to make the report public;
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Mayor Jacob Frey updates his new “no-knock” warrant policy to remove easy loopholes such as the “destruction of evidence”; and
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Mayor Jacob Frey develop a mechanism to validate adherence to the new no-knock warrant policy and delivers swift and appropriate discipline when officers violate the new policy.
“If Mayor Jacob Frey is unwilling to make these simple changes, he needs to resign,” said Pete Gamades, member of the Racial Justice Network. “His irresponsible lie led to the unnecessary police killing of Amir Locke and he needs to be held accountable.”
The Racial Justice Network (RJN) is a multi-racial, grassroots organization, committed to fighting for racial justice and building bridges across racial, social, and economic lines. racialjusticenetwork.com
Guilty verdicts against former officers Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane send a strong message for Police Accountability, yet additional work is still needed
Media Contact–
MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2022
Guilty verdicts against former officers Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane send a strong message for Police Accountability, yet additional work is still needed
Twin Cities, Minnesota
Yesterday, a federal jury found former Minneapolis police officers Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane guilty of violating George Floyd’s civil rights when they aided fellow officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd, failed to intervene, and failed to render medical treatment. We are thankful that the jury found these former officers guilty. It is another step towards police accountability. These verdicts are a result of the multi-year long persistence of Black leaders and allies in our community who continue to demand justice.
“A guilty verdict was the only appropriate result in the heinous murder of George Floyd.” said Nekima Levy Armstrong, founder of the Racial Justice Network. “Those former officers never saw the humanity of George Floyd. It shouldn’t take a global uprising to get justice for the murder of a Black man. I’m glad the jury listened to the evidence and decided to hold those three officers accountable under the law.”
The guilty verdicts in this case indicate small cracks are happening in a system that still rarely holds police officers accountable when they murder Black people. These convictions are important. However, without a strong penalty by the Court at the sentencing phase, guilty verdicts fail to truly deliver justice and accountability. This recently happened when Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu sentenced former officer Kim Potter, who is white, to just 24 months after being convicted of first and second degree manslaughter for the death of Daunte Wright, a Black father. This slap on the wrist was far below the sentencing guidelines range. Contrast that to the five year sentence of former officer Mohamed Noor, a Black man, for a lesser charge of third degree manslaughter in the death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a white woman. Judge Chu is perpetuating the racial bias that is deeply ingrained within the criminal justice system. She was able to empathize with Kim Potter, a white woman, in a way she was not able to empathize with Daunte Wright and his family.
“Attorney General Keith Ellison needs to use his authority to appeal the sentencing of Kim Potter.” said Sonja Western. “The criminal legal system consistently offers little empathy and compassion for Black people convicted of lesser crimes. This short sentence is unconscionable, unacceptable, and needs to be challenged.”
As we celebrate this guilty verdict, much work remains to be done in transforming the system of policing in Minnesota and around the nation. To that end, Racial Justice Network demands the following:
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We demand that former officers Kueng, Lane and Thao are sentenced to the maximum extent under law for their actions.
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We demand that Attorney General Keith Ellison appeal the sentencing of Kim Potter and demand a longer sentence within the sentencing guidelines range.
The Racial Justice Network (RJN) is a multi-racial, grassroots organization, committed to fighting for racial justice and building bridges across racial, social, and economic lines. racialjusticenetwork.com
PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY: COALITION OF BLACK WOMEN AND MOTHERS DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE KILLING OF AMIR LOCKE
Media Contact–
Email address: nekimalevyarmstrong@gmail.com
Phone: 612-598-0559
MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 7, 2022
COALITION OF BLACK WOMEN AND MOTHERS DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE KILLING OF AMIR LOCKE.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Please be advised that on Monday, February 7, 2022 at Minneapolis City Hall at 1:00pm, a coalition of Black women and mothers will demand swift action on the part of Mayor Jacob Frey in holding Minneapolis police officers accountable for the senseless murder of Amir Locke.
“The brutal and unnecessary police killing of 22-year-old Amir Locke is every Black mother’s worst nightmare. Our sons are not safe when Minneapolis Police officers have the power to be judge, jury, and executioner. Minneapolis police showed zero regard for the value of Amir’s life when they chose to gun him down within two seconds of waking him up on the morning of February 2nd after entering the residence on a no-knock warrant. This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” said Titilayo Bediako, Founder of We Win Institute.
Residents of Minneapolis are demanding comprehensive answers on how and why this happened, given that the city recently updated its no-knock warrant policy in 2020.
“The officers who are responsible for the murder of Amir Locke must be held accountable. At a minimum, Mark Hanneman should be swiftly fired and prosecuted for what he did. The other officers involved should be disciplined, at a minimum. And Interim Chief Amelia Huffman must go. Huffman has worked to coverup the murder of Amir Locke and has failed to provide clear, transparent answers to basic questions in this case, such as why Amir was labeled as a suspect when he wasn’t,” says Nekima Levy Armstrong, civil rights attorney, and founder of the Racial Justice Network.
As concerned women and mothers, we are demanding that Jacob Frey take the necessary steps to swiftly fire Hanneman and Huffman for the senseless killing of a young Black man and the attempted coverup that has ensued. Over the short and long term, we demand an overhaul of the Minneapolis Police Department, its policies and its culture.
The Racial Justice Network (RJN) is a multi-racial, grassroots organization, committed to fighting for racial justice and building bridges across racial, social, and economic lines. racialjusticenetwork.com
MPD Kills Young Black Man; RJN Demands Murder Charges
Media Contact–
MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2022
MPD Kills Young Black Man; Racial Justice Network Demands Murder Charges
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Approximately thirty six hours after shooting and killing Amir Locke, a Black 22-year-old young man, Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) released body-worn camera footage depicting the moments leading up to this senseless and tragic death. The video clearly shows multiple police officers bursting into an apartment during the execution of a no-knock warrant (the mayor has previously stated that no-knock warrants were banned in the City of Minneapolis). Amir was sleeping on a couch and Mark Hanneman shot him within nine seconds of entering the apartment. He fired his weapon within two seconds of ordering Amir to, “Get on the ground!” Amir never had a chance to survive the events on Wednesday morning. We can only imagine the fear he must have felt during his last few moments.
Soon after, the Minneapolis Police Department began a diabolical coverup of Amir’s murder, including falsely labeling him as a “suspect” four times in the initial press release, and insinuating to the public that he was armed, violent, and dangerous.
The Racial Justice Network is demanding swift justice for Amir Locke and full transparency and accountability from the Minneapolis Police Department and Mayor Jacob Frey. We demand the following:
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That Mayor Jacob Frey immediately terminate Officer Hanneman for the senseless killing of Amir Locke;
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That Governor Walz appoint a special prosecutor to charge Mark Hanneman for the murder of Amir Locke;
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For Mayor Jacob Frey to immediately end the use of no knock warrants by Minneapolis Police officers.
Additionally, we have no confidence in Interim Chief Huffman’s ability to lead the Minneapolis Police Department into a much-needed culture shift. We are calling for her resignation.
As a community, we are mourning alongside the family of Amir Locke and we grieve his death and the growing list of so many others at the hands of the Minneapolis Police and surrounding departments.
At a press conference earlier today Nekima Levy Armstrong, founder of the Racial Justice Network said:
“Tears from a mother’s perspective thinking about what happened. I saw the pictures of Amir. He looked like a boy. My son is seventeen-years-old. He has slept on his friends’ couches during sleepovers. We cannot stand here and whitewash this and pretend that it’s okay…We’re tired of being killed. We’re tired of the coverups. We’re tired of the excuses.”
“Mayor Jacob Frey continues to pay lip service by saying that he cares about transparency and accountability, while continuing to allow misinformation to be shared by his police department. We are fed up with his unwillingness to answer questions from reporters and our community. These are the times in which we need strong leaders who act with integrity. Mayor Frey is not leading right now and that is unacceptable at this time in our history as a city,” said Pete Gamades, member of the Racial Justice Network.
The Racial Justice Network (RJN) is a multi-racial, grassroots organization, committed to fighting for racial justice and building bridges across racial, social, and economic lines. racialjusticenetwork.com
Racial Justice Network Demands Justice for Amir Locke
Media Contact–
MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 2, 2022
Racial Justice Network Demands Justice for Amir Locke
Minneapolis, Minnesota
In the early morning of February 2, 2022, members of the Minneapolis SWAT team shot and killed Amir Locke, a Black man, after busting into the apartment where he was sleeping. We extend our deepest condolences to Amir’s family, along with the Minneapolis community as we mourn yet another senseless death of a community member at the hands of the Minneapolis police.
Officers were allegedly seeking three suspects in a homicide case and attempting to execute a search warrant, and according to Amir Locke’s family, he was not one of those suspects. He was sleeping at a family member’s apartment, and his family believes he was startled when the police busted in. He did not live at the apartment where the raid took place. His family also shared that Amir Locke had a conceal and carry permit.
“When I heard that Amir allegedly was armed, my first question was does that automatically justify the use of deadly force? I, too, am a licensed gun owner and if someone showed up at my house at 6:00 in the morning and I didn’t expect them, I couldn’t guarantee that my hand would not be on my gun. But does that mean that I am a threat? No, it doesn’t.” said Nekima Levy Armstrong, civil rights attorney and founder of the Racial Justice Network.
“The Minneapolis SWAT team has a history of violent behavior. I am heartbroken, yet not surprised, to learn that they have shot and killed one of our community members. This situation is reminiscent of officers patrolling the streets in unmarked vans, shooting projectiles at citizens after George Floyd was murdered”, said Sonja Western, Racial Justice Network member.
The Racial Justice Network is demanding swift justice for Amir Locke and full transparency and accountability from the Minneapolis Police Department and the St. Paul Police Department. Specifically, we demand that all body worn camera footage be released immediately; as well as an immediate end to high-risk early morning raids in our community.
The Racial Justice Network (RJN) is a multi-racial, grassroots organization, committed to fighting for racial justice and building bridges across racial, social, and economic lines. racialjusticenetwork.com
Community is holding 2 events for Jessica Marshik missing since Dec 14
Media Contact–
MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 5, 2022
Community to host candlelight vigil and canvassing event to find Jessica Marshik, missing since December 14th, 2021
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Friends of Jessica Marshik are asking for volunteers to help canvas Jessica’s neighborhood with flyers this Saturday, January 8th,10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. We want to bring awareness to the suspicious circumstances of her sudden disappearance, and to find people who may have seen Jessica or heard something or recall seeing anything out of the norm around the time she went missing. The canvassing will start at Jessica’s apartment building at 407 7th Street SE, Minneapolis, MN. Community members with interest in volunteering can find more information on the Facebook event page or show up the day of the event anywhere from 10-4.
On Friday, January 14th, the community will host a candlelight vigil at 6:00 PM. This will mark one month since Jessica last contacted family and friends. This event will also be held at Jessica’s apartment building located at 407 7th Street SE, Minneapolis, MN.
Family and friends have not heard from Jessica since December 14th, 2021 which is very unusual as she keeps in regular contact with family and friends afar and locally (see below for more details). Her family filed a missing persons report with Minneapolis police on December 19th, 2021 after her family did a wellness check at her apartment building, finding her apartment door unlocked, open and all her belongings inside. To date, family and friends still have no information regarding what happened to Jessica and do not believe she left her apartment on her own accord. It is feared that someone harmed her.
Missing persons are often found with the help of the community. It is important that this information gets to as many people as possible. There is a non-police tip line people can call with any information about Jessica’s disappearance, 612-200-3841.
People can stay updated on information and upcoming events on the Finding Jessica Marshik Facebook group, created to assist with finding Jessica: https://www.facebook.com/
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MISSING – Jessica Marshik
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36 years old
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Last contact was Tuesday, 12/14/21
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Minneapolis, MN
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5 feet tall
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Slender/thin build
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Medium length brown hair
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Brown eyes, normally wears glasses
Last contact with family and friends was Tuesday, December 14, 2021. It is extremely out of character for her to not check in regularly with family and friends. She lives alone in an apartment building with a secure front door (must buzz to be let in or have key to unlock) and her 2nd floor apartment door was found unlocked and ajar, with all of her belongings left behind: her purse, keys, wallet, phone, laptop, backpack, winter coat & boots (is always bundled up in winter). Her car was also left behind and parked by her apartment building.
Her apartment is located in SE Minneapolis, in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood, by Central Ave SE, University Ave SE, and E. Hennepin Ave. She frequented bars, restaurants and stores on foot in her neighborhood.
She recently visited Kansas City, Missouri and has friends in the area.
If you have any information regarding Jessica or her whereabouts, please contact the Minneapolis Police Department 612-673-5702 or call 311, reference case number 21-289840. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use the relay service, TTY: 612-263-6850.
If you see Jessica, please call 911. TTY users can call 911 directly. Text-to-911 is also available in Minneapolis. A page has been created to assist with finding Jessica https://www.facebook.com/
The Racial Justice Network (RJN) is a multi-racial, grassroots organization, committed to fighting for racial justice and building bridges across racial, social, and economic lines. racialjusticenetwork.com
Demanding Statewide Ban on High-Speed Chases by Law Enforcement Following Deaths of Multiple Teens in Recent Months
Media Contact–
MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 11, 2021
Community Groups Demand Statewide Ban on High-Speed Chases by Law Enforcement Following Deaths of Multiple Teens in Recent Months
Twin Cities, Minnesota
On Thursday, December 9, 2021, two teenagers were tragically killed and three were injured as a result of a high-speed chase initiated by Robbinsdale police into Northeast Minneapolis. Multiple young lives have been unnecessarily taken this year due to high-speed police pursuits, which also threaten the safety of innocent bystanders in our community.
Few details about the deadly police chase and resulting fatalities have been released to the public. There are many unanswered questions, including which police departments were involved, the names of the officer(s) involved, the speed at which the officers were driving, and the alternatives used to address the situation prior to the initiation of a high-speed chase. There is no justification for these dangerous police chases that too-often result in people being killed, and without due process under law.
We, the members of the Racial Justice Network, believe that all people are innocent until proven guilty, and being found guilty should not result in a death sentence. We are calling on Governor Walz and all elected officials, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Robbinsdale Mayor Bill Blonigan, to intervene and call for an end to high speed police chases in Minnesota and to hold police officers accountable for this dangerous and unnecessary behavior.
“These are senseless deaths that can and should be prevented. When officers continue to initiate high speed chases in residential areas, they are showing a blatant disregard for human life.” said Racial Justice Network member Sonja Western. Minnesotans must call and write to our City Council, respective Mayors, State Representatives, and Governor Walz to hold them accountable for their role in dangerous and poorly-enforced police policies.
Since October 2020, there have been at least five examples of high-speed police chases resulting in nine deaths. Below is a brief summary of the most recent incidents:
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December 9, 2021, Robbinsdale Police department initiated a high-speed chase that ended in Northeast Minneapolis resulting in the deaths of two teenagers.
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September 5, 2021, a high-speed chase initiated by the Eden Prairie Police Department resulted in the death of a 19 year old.
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September 3, 2021, two teenagers, ages 14 and 15, were killed as a result of a high-speed chase initiated by North St. Paul police.
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July 6, 2021, Leneal Frazier was an innocent motorist killed during a high-speed chase by Minneapolis police.
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October 2020, three teenagers were killed during a high speed chase in North Minneapolis.
Property can always be replaced; human lives cannot. We demand the elimination of high-speed police chases in the state of Minnesota. Lastly, we implore the mayors, police chiefs and prosecutors to fire and prosecute all officers whose reckless behavior during police pursuits lead to stolen lives.
The Racial Justice Network (RJN) is a multi-racial, grassroots organization, committed to fighting for racial justice and building bridges across racial, social, and economic lines. racialjusticenetwork.com