Tests showed bullet fragments also had been fired from that gun. Ryan said a handgun, and six spent cartridge cases that came from that weapon, were found inside the vehicle. Norhan Askar also said that she never saw a gun on Smith or in his vehicle, and that he was shot after he raised a cellphone to begin recording. “There is absolutely no confidence that county prosecutors can fully bring forth justice against law enforcement,” he said.Ī woman who was in the SUV with Smith has said through her attorneys that law enforcement officers were not in uniform and did not identify themselves when they surrounded the SUV with guns drawn. Jaylani Hussein, the executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and an activist against police violence, said he’s not surprised.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office said Smith was shot multiple times. Another pulled a handgun and began firing. That task force member then fired at Smith. He was told to stop reaching and recoiled into the driver’s seat when a task force member yelled “don’t do it,” then “gun, gun, gun,” Ryan wrote. Ryan said Smith then dropped his phone, twisted his body and leaned into the back seat. Ryan said Smith didn’t comply for “several minutes.” As law enforcement began to break a window, Smith looked at them “with a look of annoyance/disgust on his face.” Ryan said the task force used lights and sirens as they boxed in the SUV, wore clearly marked tactical vests and gave numerous commands for Smith to keep his hands visible as he did something with his phone. Marshals Service said at the time that he didn’t comply and “produced a handgun resulting in task force members firing.” Paul, was in a parked SUV when he was shot. “Once an individual initiates a deadly force confrontation, a law enforcement officer does not have to wait to be shot/shot at before reacting.” He said task force members’ actions were reasonable, justified and “in response to an apparent threat of death or great bodily harm.” “Though I am unable to determine who fired first, it is irrelevant in this case,” Ryan wrote.
Ryan said Smith didn’t comply and as task force members tried to enter the SUV, “Smith initiated a deadly force confrontation … by drawing his handgun and firing.” Ryan said task force members were identifiable as law enforcement, told Smith he was under arrest and ordered him out of the vehicle. The central Minnesota prosecutor reviewed the case because prosecutors in the Twin Cities area had conflicts of interest and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced the decision Monday. Marshals Service task force will not be charged in thefatal shooting of Winston Smith Jr., a Black man who was killed while authorities were trying to arrest him as he sat in an SUV at a Minneapolis parking ramp, a prosecutor announced Monday.Ĭrow Wing County Attorney Don Ryan said in letters dated last Wednesday that the task force members were justified in using deadly force when they shot Smith on June 3 as they tried to detain him for allegedly being a felon in possession of a firearm. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated.
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