The police killing of Amir Locke: a critical discourse analysis of the press conference held by Minneapolis’s mayor, the interim police chief, and the response by activists

Communication research has extensively examined the police killing of Black individuals in the United States. There are, however, no prior critical analyses of press conferences held by authorities following these killings. In this study, we take a Foucauldian approach and use critical discourse analysis to analyze the reactions and responses of Minneapolis’s Mayor Frey, Interim Police Chief Huffman, and three activists: Nekima Levy Armstrong, Jaylani Hussein, and Michelle Gross, during a press conference two days after the police killing of Amir Locke on February 2, 2022. The killing occurred roughly 18 months after the murder of George Floyd. This analysis focuses on what the mayor, police chief, and three activists valued or dismissed, and what biases were presented during the press conference. The findings indicate that power resides in the authorities. The response of the police chief is defensive and evasive, and the mayor’s response can be perceived as apologetic.