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After Minneapolis police killed 22-year-old Amir Locke in February 2022, the city’s mayor announced a moratorium on no-knock warrants – except in “extremely dangerous circumstances.” So what was the “extremely dangerous” reason this Black couple had their home destroyed by a SWAT team?
A stolen puppy.
Six seconds into their raid, the SWAT team was already breaking windows and firing bullets into Princess Fort’s doorway. “Please, please don’t break nothing else,” Fort begged, half-naked, as the cops destroyed her home. "Y'all could have knocked!”
The dog was rescued. But Fort’s now in more trouble than ever.
Because of all the SWAT team’s damage, Fort and her four-year-old son were evicted from their home, and are now unhoused and traumatized. All over a pit bull puppy her then-boyfriend had given her as a present!
From “mix-ups” to abusive force in the last couple years alone, we know that ANY of our homes can be invaded by cops – even when politicians claim they’re “reforming” the system. There are clearly safer, more efficient, and less destructive ways to accomplish investigations, but the criminal legal system just doesn’t seem interested.
Like Fort, we have the right to question the authority of people who infringe on our space and our livelihoods. Just because police have power in this country, doesn't mean we can't challenge it or think for ourselves!