June 5, 2021

Protests Erupt in Minneapolis Again After Man Shot and Killed by US Marshals

There is no bodycam or squad car footage of the shooting of Winston Boogie Smith Jr., authorities said Friday.

Police stand guard after protesters set fire to dumpsters on the street after a vigil was held for Winston Boogie Smith Jr. early on Saturday, June 5, 2021. Smith was shot and killed by law enforcement officers on Thursday during an attempted arrestAP Photo/Christian Monterrosa

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Protesters took to the streets of Minneapolis for the second straight night Friday in the wake of the shooting death of a man by a US Marshals task force on Thursday. 

Authorities said Friday that 32-year-old Winston Boogie Smith Jr., who was was wanted for allegedly being a felon in possession of a firearm, fired a gun before two deputies shot him inside a parked car.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension told local reporters that there is no bodycam or squad car footage of the shooting because the Marshals do not allow them on their North Star Fugitive Task Force. Protesters have asked anyone who might have cellphone footage of the shooting to come forward.

According to NBC News, nine people have been arrested on charges related to the protests, including suspicion of riot, assault, arson, and damage to property.

Smith’s killing comes just over a year after police officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck while Floyd was handcuffed and lying on his stomach. The video of Floyd struggling to breathe, calling for his mother, and crying out in pain sparked nationwide protests and calls for a racial reckoning in 2020, and Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder in April.

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

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