A Minnesota judge approved the “no-knock” raid that killed Amir Locke in Minneapolis last week, believing it was needed to protect the investigating officers and the public, court documents released on Thursday showed. Officers who requested the warrant to enter a Minneapolis apartment were investigating a previous fatal shooting in St. Paul in which a firearm capable of penetrating police body armor was used. That justified the need for a no-knock entry to catch suspects off guard, the requesting officers said. “The court further finds that no-knock entry, without announcement of authority or purpose, is necessary to prevent the loss, destruction, or removal of the objects of said search or to protect the safety of the searchers or the public,” a court document signed by Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill said. Locke, a 22-year-old man, was not named in the warrant. Minneapolis police have acknowledged it was unclear how …