The names of the officers who fatally shot Winston Smith atop the Uptown parking lot in Minneapolis last month may never be made public, a new Star Tribune report says.
Minnesota and federal laws call for the concealment of the officers as they were undercover when the incident occurred. The officers being deputized as federal agents by the U.S. Marshals North Star Fugitive Taskforce also makes it more challenging. If an effort were made to reveal their names, it would result in a complex legal process.
Activists have been calling for the Minnesota BCA to release more information on the shooting, while protests and unrest in the Uptown neighborhood have continued since Winston was killed.
They have also called for Gov. Tim Walz to have an independent investigation opened to gain more information on the shooting.
Despite this, there still is no mandate that forces the officers' identities to be released to the public.
"The government has a privilege to conceal the identities of officers acting in an undercover capacity," said John Marti, a former federal prosecutor in Minnesota, the Star Tribune reported.
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One scenario that would allow for the release of the names would be if criminal charges were brought against the officers. However, it is unlikely that charges will be brought due to the lack of video evidence, which is why the release of their names would be so difficult, according to Don Gemberling.
Gemberling serves on the board of the Minnesota Coalition on Government Information. He also helped create state public records law responsible for shielding the officers' names, the Star Tribune reported.
"I'm not quite sure how a criminal case comes out of this," Gemberling said. "You've got a bunch of cops, basically, who are gonna say, 'I saw he had a gun, I was afraid for my life, and I fired.' Or, 'I saw he had a gun, and I saw the other officer take him out.' "
While the efforts to repair relationships between officers and citizens continue, so does the call for reform. Many have called for the resignation of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for not making enough changes to the policing system in Minneapolis.
Minneapolis City Councilmember Andrea Jenkins was blocked at a pride event until she agreed to a list of demands which included calling for Frey to resign.
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Business owners have also been voicing their frustration for the "lack of leadership" in the city as their neighborhood continues to struggle.
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As for now, activists continue to call for more information about the incident to be released, but unless charges are brought against the officers, it most likely will not happen.