Charges filed in murder investigation leading to search warrant that resulted in Amir Locke killing

(FOX 9) - Ramsey County prosecutors have filed second degree murder charges against a 17-year-old in a St. Paul homicide investigation connecting to the deadly police search warrant raid where Amir Locke was killed by a Minneapolis SWAT team member.

The SPPD, the Southeast Metro Task Force, and the Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement took the teen, Mekhi Speed, into custody Monday afternoon in Winona, Minnesota. 

Speed was wanted in connection with the murder of Otis Elder who was shot and killed in St. Paul in January.

According to the charges that led to the search warrant, Elder was killed outside a business in St. Paul on January 10 around 9:30 p.m.

One person was seen inside the car with Elder and another standing outside the driver’s side door when shots were fired. Both of those individuals were then seen fleeing to a nearby car immediately after the shooting. 

A witness reported he saw a silver Mercedes Benz drive away from the murder scene at a high rate of speed, running through a stop sign without stopping. The video of the incident verified the witness account that a light-colored Mercedes fled the scene. 

Investigators were able to track the Mercedes to the Bolero Flats Apartment building in Minneapolis using MnDOT cameras. The Mercedes entered a parking ramp adjacent to Bolero Flats at 10:16 p.m. and three people got out and entered Bolero. 

Using more surveillance camera, investigators says they were able to identify Speed, who lives in an apartment with his mother at the Bolero Flats. They were also able to confirm that Speed had a fob to unit 701, where his brother lives with his girlfriend. 

Police were also told that one of the people seen returning to the apartment on the night of Elder’s killing also lived in the building. 

The charges go on to say that on Feb. 2 police had warrants to enter Speed’s unit, the one occupied by the other suspect, and unit 701 - the apartment where Amir Locke was asleep on the couch. 

Investigators say police entered Speed’s unit and found no one there. They then entered the other unit where the second suspect lived, but that suspect wasn’t in the apartment at the time either.

The third unit they entered was where Locke was sleeping on the couch and fatally shot by police. Locke’s brother and his girlfriend were also present at the time. 

Police were able to track Speed to Winona on Feb. 6. When he was apprehended they say he was wearing the same jacket worn by the suspect seen in the video returning to Bolero Flats on the night of the murder. 

Mekhi Speed and Amir Locke are cousins. 

Speed made an appearance in juvenile court on Tuesday afternoon, which was continued until next week. He is being held in custody at this time.

Protest in Minneapolis on Tuesday

Protesters have gathered for another night in Minneapolis as part of a rally for the shooting of Amir Locke.

The rally was underway Tuesday evening at the Hennepin County Government Center, where dozens of people gathered calling for justice for Locke.

It is at least the fifth such protest in recent days, including a march through downtown Minneapolis on Saturday and a car caravan that gathered outside a home believed to belong to interim police chief Amelia Huffman.

Earlier on Tuesday, students at Minnesota schools also staged a walkout protest.