The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says they’ve unlocked cellphone video four years after an officer-involved shooting of a man on a parking deck in Uptown in the summer of 2021.
A U.S. Marshall’s Fugitive Task Force, which included members of undercover local law enforcement, tried to take Winston Smith into custody when shots were fired. At the time, controversy surrounded the incident as none of the responding officers had bodycams rolling.
This morning, the BCA says they retrieved Winston’s cell phone and, thanks to newer technology, have been able to unlock the phone and confirm that there is a video of the incident, which they’ve turned over to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
So far, the nature of what’s on the video has not been shared.
The killing set off several days of civil protests in the Uptown area. One protester was killed when she was run over by an impaired driver.