NEWS

The death of a 22-year-old man, Amir Locke, has reignited the national debate over law enforcement’s use of no-knock warrants. On Feb. 2, Locke was killed during a police raid in Minneapolis, Minnesota after being mistaken for his cousin, Mehki Camden Speed, who was a suspect in a homicide case. A Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team had obtained a no-knock search warrant for Speed’s apartment, but instead of finding him, they found Locke asleep. When the team entered the apartment, Locke defensively picked up a handgun that he legally owned, prompting the police to open fire (Cable News Network). Officer Mark Hanneman fatally shot Locke in his chest and right wrist, according to the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). This incident has caused many people to question the efficacy of no-knock warrants, as Locke’s death is not an isolated incident.

The origin of no-knock warrants dates back several decades ago to the 1970s: the era of the war on drugs. During this period, the U.S.’s attempts to reduce the illegal drug trade facilitated the creation of no-knock warrants. The Fourth Amendment protects citizens from “unreasonable search”, meaning that police cannot barge into homes whenever they want; they would need a warrant granted by a judge. Even with a warrant, police are supposed to knock and announce themselves before entering one’s home. However, as the war on drugs intensified, police argued that criminals and drug dealers were too dangerous to be granted the typical courtesy of knocking first (Vox). As a result, in the early 1970s, the federal government granted police the right to conduct no-knock raids, but it was often misused, causing the law to be repealed a couple of years later. Since then, a series of court decisions and state laws have created a special set of circumstances in which it is legal for police to raid a house without announcing their presence beforehand–in order to now obtain one of these no-knock warrants, police have to appeal to a judge on one of two bases: either that the police are at danger of being harmed or that if they announced their presence, the suspect would have time to destroy evidence of a crime before the police could confiscate it (Vox). Many officers are in favor of no-knock warrants due to the element of surprise; it is meant to help law enforcement disrupt criminal activity without giving the perpetrator time to react. While some may consider no-knock warrants to be conceptually ideal, many people criticize them, claiming that they are frequently misused. A 2017 New York Times investigation found that at least 81 civilians and 13 law enforcement officers have died in no-knock and quick-knock raids between 2010 and 2016 in the U.S., with many more having been seriously wounded (American Broadcasting Company).

“While the ‘perceived benefits’ of no-knock warrants are commonly touted as a justification for their use, massive bodies of peer-reviewed research demonstrate their ineffectiveness as a crime-fighting tactic,” junior Coralynn Yang said. “While there might be some possibility that no-knock warrants are a useful investigation tactic, those marginal benefits are definitely outweighed by the massive increases in violence that accompanied their utilization — the risk of violence or injury being done to the civilian is much larger than the chance that police will find something during the investigation.”

Inspired by Locke’s death, efforts are being taken by many legislators to ban no-knock warrants. Two days after Locke’s death, Minneapolis’s mayor Jacob Frey imposed a moratorium on both the request and execution of no-knock warrants in Minneapolis. Frey also stated that officials of the Minneapolis Police Department would work with national experts to review and suggest revisions to the department’s policy on no-knock warrants (CBS). There have also been previous measures implemented by officials to combat the abuse of no-knock warrants. In June of 2020, for instance, current Vice President Kamala Harris co-sponsored legislation aimed at banning police from using chokeholds and no-knock warrants at a nationwide level. As of February of 2022, the bill, titled the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, has been passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and is on the Senate calendar (NewsNation). By January of 2021, state bills and local ordinances banning or restricting no-knock warrants were also introduced in 22 states and 20 cities, according to the Council on Criminal Justice. Additionally, following the death of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor in March of 2020, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer suspended the use of no-knock warrants and required police to wear body cameras when carrying out search warrants (Public Broadcasting Service). Taylor was shot by police executing a no-knock drug search warrant meant for two men who were suspected to be receiving packages from Taylor’s apartment (The New York Times). The Minneapolis police are acting swiftly to make reforms following Locke’s because Minneapolis is the same city in which George Floyd lost his life at the hands of the police in May of 2020. Since Floyd’s death, the Minneapolis Police Department has been under intense scrutiny from citizens; many have even called to have the entire system disbanded. Freshman Neekta Baghoolizadeh believes that the Minneapolis Police Department contributed to the deaths of these two men.

“To [address] the elephant in the room, both [Floyd and Locke] were killed by active police officers on duty, which in itself is an astonishing problem,” Baghoolizadeh said. “While some people may argue that these police officers were only a ‘bad apple’ in the bunch, the repeated acts of violence and systemic prejudice ingrained in the police, as well as other ‘justice’ systems, tell a vastly different story. The [very] fact that these ‘bad apples’ are allowed to continue to work as police officers and are constantly defended by their colleagues further proves that these issues are not the work of singular officers but the systemic racism that is, more often than not, deep-rooted in the police system.”

No-knock warrants have a reputation of being abused, particularly among minorities (The Columbus Dispatch). Two years before the city banned the warrants in June of 2020, Louisville Metro Police Department officers received court approval for at least 27 no-knock warrants. An analysis by the Louisville Courier-Journal showed that for 22 of those warrants, 82% of the listed suspects were Black. The issue surrounding no-knock warrants is only one aspect of an ongoing racial struggle in America, particularly in the criminal justice system. Police have a long history of targeting minorities; the origins of modern-day policing can be traced back to the “Slave Patrol”, which was created in the early 1700s to establish a system of terror and prevent slave uprisings (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). The U.S. is also home to the world’s largest prison population and the highest per-capita incarceration rate, of which Black people make up 38.4% of those incarcerated, despite making up only 13.4% of the overall U.S. population (Federal Bureau of Prisons). Many have proposed a potential solution to this issue of internal bias within police officers: the implementation of an implicit bias training program to be used during their training. On average, U.S. officers are required to spend at least 21 weeks in general training before they are qualified to go on patrol (British Broadcasting Corporation), which is far less than most other developed countries according to the Institute for Criminal Justice Training Reform. U.S. police training also heavily emphasizes the operation of firearms instead of how to de-escalate a situation — on average 71 hours against 21 (U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics). Many see the potential benefits of an implicit bias training program in helping these officers become more aware and eradicate their bias, conscious or not, towards specific groups.

“These great kids get shot [due to] the officer’s mentality that [a person] is Black so [they are] bad,” Government and Advanced Placement Psychology teacher John Hangartner said. “The guy who was standing on Floyd’s throat did not have to do that. I see those cops beating Rodney King, they did not need to do that; it makes me sick to my stomach. [These cops] have enough training to know and to understand when their life is in danger [versus] when they are just using excessive force. [As for the use of no-knock warrants], it kind of makes sense [why cops would prefer it], but if it is going to create a loss of life, whether it is of the cop or the victim, I would say forgo it. Death is the ultimate; we do not need any more of that.”

NATHAN CHEN WINS GOLD MEDAL

Figure skater Nathan Chen’s noteworthy routine at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics has captivated audiences from all over the globe with his famous quadruple axel jumps. On Feb. 10, Chen made history with his routine as the first Asian American to win an Olympic gold medal in the men’s singles figure skating category. In a subcategory of the men’s singles category, men’s free skate, his routine was choreographed to a mashup of “Rocketman” and “Benny and the Jets” by Elton John. Chen finished with a score of 218.63 in his free skate and also set a new world record in the individual short program category with a score of 113.97 (Consumer News and Business Channel). Chen’s total combined score was 332.60, establishing him as the top men’s figure skater at the games this year.

Chen, who grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, credits his mother for helping him reach his life-long goal of competing in the Olympics. Several times a year, Chen and his mother would make the drive from Utah to Lake Arrowhead, California for lessons with his current coach, Rafael Arutyunyan. When Chen was 11 years old, he and his family made the permanent move to California in order for him to train with his coach more frequently (National Broadcast Company). Chen’s efforts eventually paid off when he qualified for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, where he ultimately placed fifth. However, after missing a chance to win a medal in Pyeongchang due to a fall when trying to complete a quadruple lutz, he continued to train and went undefeated in his competitions for the next three years. When speaking in an interview with The Washington Post about Pyeongchang, Chen expressed that people “learn the most from mistakes” and he “certainly learned a lot from [the fall during that] competition.” Freshman Sophie Wang watched this year’s Winter Olympics and is excited that Chen was able to inspire viewers with his redemption after Pyeongchang.

“I am so happy that [Nathan Chen] was finally able to win gold after Pyeongchang, and his technical scores were the highest,” Wang said. “[He is] an inspiration to [many] to work hard, break limits and set records.”

Chen was first influenced to figure skate after seeing other Olympic figure skaters competing on television, including Michelle Kwan, a fellow Asian American Olympic figure skater. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Chen expressed that “having athletes that look like you gives you hope that you can do the same, and Michelle Kwan certainly was that for me.” Chen felt connected with Kwan when he was growing up, as they are both Chinese American, and now he is inspiring other young Asian American athletes in the same way Kwan inspired him; Alysa Liu, a newcomer to the U.S. Olympic Team, is also Chinese American and cited Chen as one of her influences. Chen’s inspiration will continue to grow as he inspires many other Chinese American athletes to work hard and reach their goals. Junior Eleanor Hsu, who was a figure skater for five years, respects the hard work Chen has put in and hopes he can serve as positive representation for the Asian American ahtletic community.

“Nathan Chen being the first Asian American male athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating is a very inspiring thing,” Hsu said. “It is amazing to see how much diversity has been achieved [in the Olympics] and the breaking of historical stereotypes against the Asian American community. I believe that his accomplishments and hard work will serve as a precedent and inspiration for many other [athletes].”

Chen’s win is considered to be especially significant for the Asian American community because of a history of exclusionary practices in sports leagues, leading to an underrepresentation of Asian Americans in elite-level sports (National Broadcast Company). The New York Times has recently experienced backlash from the Asian American community after one of their articles noted that Chen and other Asian Americans were beginning to dominate Olympic figure skating. The author of the article said it was not intended to be harmful, but amid two years of pandemic-fueled hate crimes against Asian Americans, the use of the term “overrepresented” in the article struck a nerve with many. Many felt that the term “overrepresented” was too extreme. For perhaps as long as organized sports have existed in the U.S., Asian Americans have been underrepresented, in part due to a history of gatekeeping and social segregation (National Broadcast Company). Junior Jessica Wiemels, who has experience in competitive figure skating, feels that Chen is a great role model for Asian American figure skaters across the country. “Nathan Chen winning an Olympic gold medal serves as the perfect representation for Asian Americans in sports,” Wiemels said. “Representation is so important because of how it defines inclusivity and inspiration. For a long time, there has been a lack of this much-needed Asian American representation. Skaters like Michelle Kwan, Kristi Yamaguchi and now Nathan Chen are the perfect examples of what Asian Americans in sports can achieve.”

KAMILA VALIEVA’S DRUG SCANDAL

Through “doping,” or taking illegal substances, athletes can increase their blood flow efficiency and improve their endurance levels for competitions. Thus, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibits the usage of performance-enhancing drugs. On Dec. 25, 2021, 15-year-old figure skater Kamila Valieva, who competed for the Russian Olympic Committee in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing heart medication called Trimetazidine. This is not the first time an Olympic athlete has broken the rules, and the ones who have been caught in the past faced consequences such as the forfeiture of their medals. In Valieva’s case, however, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) allowed her to continue competing at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Due to this controversial decision, there have been mixed opinions from the press and audiences about the overall ethicality of the 2022 Beijing Olympics, especially concerning a topic involving a minor’s usage of drugs. Sophomore Riku Ogami is strongly against doping in sports, especially during the Olympics.

“Substance abuse has always been something I have looked down upon,” Ogami said. “As a cross country athlete, [I] pray that people will compete fairly in whatever sport they play. That is why hearing [this news], especially in a worldwide event like the Olympics, has left a sour taste in my mouth and I have lost respect for the International Olympic Committee.”

In addition to Trimetadizidine, Valieva tested positive for the usage of multiple heart drugs, including Hypoxen and L-carnitine. At a CAS hearing on Feb. 14, Valieva claimed that the positive drug test was caused by a mix-up with her grandfather’s heart medications (TIME). This contradicts another claim made by Valieva’s mother on Feb. 9 in which she states that her daughter had been taking Hypoxen due to heart rate variations (The New York Times). Despite testing positive for these drugs, CAS had allowed Valieva to continue competing in the women’s free skate category. This is accredited to the fact that young athletes like Valieva who are under 16 years old typically have more flexibility under anti-doping rules; thus, they are often not held responsible for the usage of banned substances. Young athletes are also seen as a “protected person” who could be under the influence due to the adults around them.

“[I] do think that Valieva’s statement is valid, and if her claim is true then I cannot blame her,” sophomore Augustine Sheen said. “However, even if she took the drugs accidentally, that [does not] change the fact that she still was able to utilize those drugs while competing. I do not think she deserves to compete [in the Olympics] with an unfair advantage and suffer the consequences of her own mistake.” Although evidence of Valieva’s positive drug test was found on Dec. 25, 2021, a laboratory in Stockholm, Sweden who is affiliated with WADA holds responsibility for withholding the results from WADA until Feb. 8; the reason for the results being released late remains ambiguous. When Valieva’s drug test came back positive 45 days late, she was initially banned by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) from all competitions, but Valieva’s team challenged the suspension and it was lifted a day later. WADA, along with the International Skating Union (ISU) and the International Testing Agency (ITA), appealed RUSADA’s reprieve from suspension, and the case was then sent to the CAS. Following CAS’s ruling, the executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) posted an official statement to their website on Feb. 14 that if Valieva were to finish in the top three of the women’s single skating category, there would be no medal ceremony held for all finalists.

On Feb. 17, Valieva ranked fourth in the women’s individual figure skating category. Due to immense pressure, Valieva fell during her routine in the women’s free skate competition and ranked out of the top three (Columbia Broadcasting System). Following this new placement, Valieva sympathizers took to social media and expressed their disappointment by the lack of action taken by the adults supervising her. Due to Valieva’s age, many people have suspected that she was forced to dope by the adults around her to perform better. Shortly after the results of the women’s individual skating category were released, IOC president Thomas Bach criticized Valieva’s entourage in a press conference due to these suspicions. Bach also supported the investigation of Valieva’s coach and entourage, as support personnels of athletes under 16 are automatically required to be investigated for their role in the athlete’s use of banned substances (WADA). The Intelligence and Investigations Department started investigating the adults surrounding Valieva on Feb. 13, while the Russian AntiDoping Agency is currently investigating her entourage. Sophomore Anastasia Kudo is disappointed by the way Valieva’s team handled the entire situation.

“Valieva should not have competed in the 2022 Beijing Olympics when they found out about the positive drug test,” Kudo said. “Valieva’s entourage pushing her to compete is what caused her to emotionally break down, and [no one] my age should have to go through something like that. I hope the investigation gets to the bottom of what really happened and if the adults around her are responsible for this doping incident.”