Activists renewed calls for justice for Marcus Smith and transparency from Greensboro city leaders during a press conference Thursday. Organizers say the community needs to know more about Smith's death after being restrained by police in 2018.
Over and over, speakers compared Smith's death to the murder of George Floyd, who died in police custody in Minneapolis last year. Activists point to the similarities between the incidents — the benign-sounding initial press releases in the wake of the incidents, both men telling officers they couldn't breathe, and ultimately the deaths that befell both at the hands of police.
Smith's mother, Mary Smith, says her son is the first thing on her mind when she wakes up every morning.
“His life was stolen. His birthday was stolen. Christmas was stolen. His love of music was stolen. His clothes for me was stolen. Loving music was stolen. Everything that could be stolen from a human being for no reason,” she says.
Smith, who was picked up by Greensboro police in September of 2018, later died after being immobilized by officers using a controversial restraining method similar to a hogtie.
The family has filed a federal lawsuit against the city. Attorney Flint Taylor, who represents the Smiths, says the city should apologize to the family and establish a memorial to Marcus Smith.
Greensboro's city council is weighing the possibility of opening an independent investigation into the case.