Mekhi Speed Appears In Court Tuesday
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- The St. Paul murder suspect whose investigation led to his own cousin's death and sparked another growing cry for police reform appeared in court on Tuesday.
Mekhi Speed's court appearance is his first since his arrest in Winona last week. He is the suspect named in the warrant that prompted the raid earlier this month in which police shot and killed Amir Locke.
According to newly released documents, Speed is now charged in Winona County, where he was caught possessing a gun (for which he is currently ineligible) and running from police.
When officers arrested him, police say he told them, "You killed my cousin."
Speed actually had a court hearing scheduled Tuesday morning, which he did not attend, relating to a property damage case. His court appearance Tuesday afternoon is connected with the shooting death of 38-year-old Otis Elder.
In that case, police said the getaway car used in that murder was tied to other crimes around the Twin Cities, so they issued a search warrant.
Speed is on extended judicial jurisdiction in another county, and the defense attorney said during the hearing on Tuesday that he had told probation officials about his intent to travel to Winona, and was given permission to do so. The attorney argued that Speed was not fleeing police when he was arrested.
Speed will be detained until an in-person certification hearing scheduled for March 16.
Police went looking for evidence to make an arrest in Elder's death, which led them to the Bolero Flats apartments in downtown Minneapolis on Feb. 2. MPD SWAT got an approved no-knock warrant to enter an apartment on the seventh floor, where they believed the suspect or someone who knew the suspect lived.
Instead, within nine seconds of walking into that apartment unit, SWAT officers came across Amir Locke. He had been sleeping on the couch, and was holding a gun. Officer Mark Hanneman shot and killed Locke.
Locke is Speed's cousin, and the apartment police raided is where Speed's brother lives.
The community is demanding more answers into Locke's shooting death by police.
Locke's funeral will take place Thursday at Shiloh Temple in north Minneapolis. Rev. Al Sharpton will give the eulogy.
