Minneapolis police insisted on "no knock" warrant that led to fatal shooting of Amir Locke

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - Minneapolis police insisted on "no knock" warrant that led to fatal shooting of Amir Locke: St. Paul police applied for a standard search warrant for the predawn raid in downtown Minneapolis that ended in the shooting death of Amir Locke, [but were overruled by Minneapolis police](, who wanted to carry out a no-knock operation, according to a source. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman is again turning to the state Attorney General's Office for help reviewing the killing. A leading state gun rights group said Friday that the 22-year-old acted legally when he armed himself as several Minneapolis police SWAT officers rushed into a downtown apartment shouting "police search warrant!" and then shot him as he stirred beneath a blanket on a couch with a gun in his hand. The city of Minneapolis [released body camera video of the shooting Thursday night.]( Warning, the video is graphic. - Richfield school offers support, stepped-up security for students on first day back after shooting: [Students returned to South Education Center on Friday](, days after a shooting outside the alternative school in Richfield left one pupil dead and another seriously injured. The building closed for two days following Tuesday's incident. - Omicron continues retreat in Minnesota: [Minnesota's COVID-19 cases continue to decline]( but high rates of infection are still being caused by the highly contagious omicron variant. - South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem signs transgender athlete ban: South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Thursday signed a bill that will [ban transgender girls and college-age women from playing in school sports leagues]( that match their gender identity, making South Dakota the 10th state to enact such a law. - Emboldened China opens Olympics, with lockdown and boycotts: China, which used its first Olympics in 2008 to amplify its international aspirations, [invited the world back Friday — sort of — for the pandemic era's second Games](, this time as an emboldened and more powerful nation whose government's authoritarian turn provoked some countries' leaders into staying home. - Ramsey sheriff's deputies union says privacy concerns at root of vaccine reluctance: The union representing Ramsey County Sheriff's Office deputies has [pushed back against the county's threat to suspend deputies]( who don't comply with the county's COVID-19 vaccinate-or-test policy, calling the move "draconian" and saying it could threaten public safety. About one in four staff members have not yet complied, and negotiations between the sheriff's office and the county continue, a spokesman said Thursday. - Minnesota Department of Education seeks to end nutrition contract with second nonprofit: The Minnesota Department of Education [wants to terminate a food distribution contract with a second nonprofit]( named in FBI search warrants in January. The department notified Partners in Quality Care this week of the action, which would prevent the St. Paul organization from continuing to participate in federal child nutrition programs. - How have you adjusted your life due to rising inflation? As inflation continues to rise to levels we haven't seen in decades, the Star Tribune would like to know how you have responded to increased prices and what changes, if any, you have made in how you shop and save. [Please fill out this brief form to share your experience.]( WATCH THIS Bystander wades into icy river to rescue dog in Ukraine: After a large dog fell through the ice earlier this week on the Kalmius River in Donetsk, Ukraine, this rather buff young man stripped to his skivvies and [waded into the icy water to save the pooch]( as a crowd watched from the shore. Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. TRENDING - Why isn't Minnesota's sacrifice at Gettysburg better remembered? If it weren't for a bold attack by the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry regiment, [some believe the North may have lost at Gettysburg]( — and, given the importance of that battle, perhaps even the war itself. - Katie Novak, passionate fitness trainer from St. Louis Park, dies at 31: Katherine "Katie" Novak had a series of "Katie-isms" that clients at Burn Boot Camp in Maple Grove came to know well. "If you can, you must" was a phrase that Novak, a lead trainer at the gym, used to motivate those in her classes, but it also proved a motto for the rest of her life, friends and family said. Novak, of St. Louis Park, [died unexpectedly on Jan. 18.]( Her family suspects her heart stopped while she was napping. She was 31. Her son, Nolan, and co-parent, Chris Kuker, had both recently tested positive for COVID-19, but Novak had tested negative and was vaccinated. - The 5 best things our food writers ate this week: From crispy rice tots to blueberry mojitos, [here's a rundown of the greatest hits]( from their dining diaries over the past seven days. SPORTS ROUNDUP - Harbaugh says Vikings interview "one-time thing," admits depth of interest wasn't mutual: Jim Harbaugh told the Detroit Free Press that [he felt strongly about joining the Vikings](, but "I didn't feel it was that way for both parties." - For Karl-Anthony Towns, latest All-Star honor doesn't feel the same: [Towns wasn't as emotional as he was in the past about the All-Star selections](. "It's not the same people showing up," he said. - Bill Fitch, former Gophers coach and NBA champion, dies at 89: Fitch started his coaching career in the Midwest, including two years with the Gophers, before a Hall of Fame career in the pros. In 1996, [he was named one of the top 10 NBA coaches of all-time.]( Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. WORTH A CLICK Chinese-American skier Eileen Gu tries to soar over geopoliticial divide: "Gu, an 18-year-old born and raised in San Francisco, decided in 2019 to compete for China, her mother's home country. She is well known there, as Gu Ailing, a dominant skier and a budding supermodel. She flits into the Olympics with realistic hopes of winning three gold medals. But her most difficult trick might be flying above the geopolitical fray of these Olympics — over diplomatic boycotts, accusations of human rights abuses and vigorous debate over the future of the world — and coming down safely, straddling the growing rift of two superpowers," [writes John Branch for the New York Times.]( TALKERS TRIVIA Want to win a $15 gift card of your choice? It's Friday, so that means it's time for another trivia question. The correct answer to this question can be found in a story that appeared in Talkers this week. We can't prevent you from simply Googling the answer, so Googling is encouraged! E-mail your answer to talkers@startribune.com by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. A winner will be selected at random from the correct responses. That lucky reader will receive a $15 card of their choice from one of several retailers — Best Buy, Target, Holiday or Menards — as well as a shout-out in Monday's newsletter. Here is this week's question: Which historic Minneapolis movie theater will be transformed into a music and events venue? Good luck! FROM THE ARCHIVES Feb. 4, 2021: A trio of swans take flight on Sucker Lake in Vadnais Heights, where dozens of the birds spend the winter each year. (Photo: Brian Peterson/Star Tribune) Connect with Star Tribune [facebook]([twitter]([pinterest]([instagram]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]( • [Unsubscribe]( This email was sent by: StarTribune, 650 3rd Ave S, Suite #1300, Minneapolis, MN, 55488 © 2022 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](