The man who was shot dead in Minneapolis on Thursday by members of a US Marshals task force for allegedly pulling a gun on them as they attempted to serve an arrest warrant has been identified as a musician with an extensive criminal record who was previously convicted of a felony aggravated robbery.
The fatal shooting, coupled with the dismantling of George Floyd Square, sparked bouts of civil unrest, vandalism and looting of businesses overnight, leading to multiple arrests.
Friends and family on Friday named the deceased suspect as 32-year-old Winston Boogie Smith, a father-of-two from Minneapolis. His identity has not been officially confirmed by the authorities.
A US Marshals task force moved in on Smith, who was wanted ‘on a state arrest warrant’ for being a felon in possession of a firearm, outside a parking garage at around 2pm on Thursday in the Uptown neighborhood, just three miles away from George Floyd Square.
Smith, who was in a parked SUV, ‘produced a handgun resulting in task force members firing upon the subject,’ Hennepin County Sheriff’s Department said. Officers attempted to revive the suspect but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
A woman who was riding in Smith’s SUV was injured by shattered glass and was taken into custody after being treated for minor injuries.
According to court records, Smith had racked up at least 20 arrests since 2007 on charges ranging from minor traffic violations to drug and marijuana possession. In 2017, he was convicted of felony aggravated robbery, was handed a three-year stayed sentence and was put on probation.
Under the conditions of his probation, Smith was required to stay in regular contact with his probation officer, submit to random drug testing, find a job and possess no firearms.
WCCO reported that on May 5, Smith failed to show up at a probation violation hearing, resulting in a warrant being issued for his arrest.
It was not clear how many law enforcement officers fired their weapons. A spokeswoman with the US Marshals said the US Marshals leads the task force that attempted the arrest, which is comprised of several agencies.
Other agencies with personnel on the scene at the time of the shooting include sheriff’s offices from Hennepin, Anoka and Ramsey counties, the Minnesota Department of Corrections and the Department of Homeland Security. Minneapolis police played no role in the incident.
Winston Boogie Smith, 32, was shot and killed by members of a US Marshals task force in Minneapolis on Thursday. Smith, who was wanted for a probation violation, allegedly pulled a gun on officers
An investigator goes through the scene where Smith was shot and killed by officers attempting to serve aa warrant on top of a parking ramp in Minneapolis on Thursday
Officers who were involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave.
The gunfire erupted on the fifth floor of a parking ramp at West Lake Street and South Fremont Avenue.
A bartender from a nearby business told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that several of his patrons hear eight to 12 shots, and then saw officers grab the female passenger from the suspect’s vehicle.
A neighbor who lives across from the parking ramp told the paper she heard more than a dozen shots, followed by a pause, and then even more shots.
Smith was a local hip hop artist who performed under the stage name ‘Wince Me Boi’ and also appeared in comedy videos.
In January 2020, he released a single dedicated to his children titled Goodbye.
Friends and relatives took to Facebook and Twitter to pay tribute to Smith as news of his killing spread.
Smith received a stayed sentence and was placed on probation stemming from a 2017 conviction on an aggravated robbery charge
A woman claiming to be Smith’s cousin wrote in a status update on Friday: ‘I swear u didn’t deserve this at all but #JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED AND YOUR LEGACY AND NAME WILL LIVE ON THROUGH US AND YOUR CHILDREN I HATE THEY TOOK U FROM UR KIDS S***S JUST NOT RIGHT CUZO. UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN FLY HIGH BABY.’
Earlier, the same woman reposted a status update that Smith had written back in April, which read: ‘I love yall I know my time is up so Ima miss y’all when I’m gone #Ripme.’
The heartbroken family member commented: ‘It’s like u knew it was coming os something…’
Minneapolis police said news of the shooting sparked ‘numerous’ instances of vandalism and looting overnight.
The shooting came after crews began dismantling concrete barriers around the so-called ‘autonomous zone’ of George Floyd Square, which were set up as a memorial after he was murdered in May 2020.
Protests had already broken out among activists angered by the removal of the shrine when news of the shooting in Uptown reached them.
People soon gathered in Uptown, crowding around the crime scene and chanting anti-police slogans, before they barricaded off Lake Street and Girard Avenue where a dumpster was torched.
The trash receptacle eventually melted into a ‘puddle of fire,’ a TV reporter at the scene tweeted. Several dozen protesters were observed throwing more items into the dumpster to feed the blaze.
It took police more than 40 minutes to respond and by the time they arrived cars and motorcycles had shown up to help protesters block off the streets, according to independent journalist Rebecca Brannon.
Brannon filmed the moment police began ‘aggressively’ moving in on protesters, shooting tear gas into the intersection to clear them out. Firefighters were later filmed extinguishing the fire and cleaning up the intersection.
Infighting and looting broke out across the city as the streets remained filled with protesters until the early hours of the morning. A T-Mobile store and a CVS pharmacy were among the shops raided by looters and officers were later deployed outside businesses to prevent further damage to property.
Vandals spray-painted buildings near the scene of the shooting with the words, ‘Kill cops’ and ‘No trial for them’, while others hurled abuse at officers calling them, ‘F***ing Nazis’ and ‘White supremacists.’
Minneapolis police used tear gas on protesters who lit fires that burned for more than 40 minutes after city workers began dismantling George Floyd Square
Protesters barricaded off Lake Street and Girard Avenue before starting the fire
Police allegedly failed to respond for more than 40 minutes as the fire raged
A dumpster fire is seen burning at Lake Street and Girard Avenue in Minneaopolis after protesters barricaded the street off
The shooting took place three miles away from George Floyd Square in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis
Police cars surround the parking ramp where the shooting took place on Thursday afternoon after the suspect wielded a handgun
Protesters gather outside the parking ramp after the fatal shooting on Thursday as a police cordon was erected around the building
Minneapolis Police officers stand in the crime scene where a black man was shot on Thursday after allegedly pulling a gun on cops
Police stand in a cordoned off crime scene where a black man was shot dead on Thursday
Tensions rise between protesters and police officers who were investigating a fatality in an officer involved shooting, Thursday
The riot came after crews began dismantling George Floyd Square in the early hours of Thursday morning, surprising many residents waking up.
Crews removed concrete barriers as well as artwork, flowers and other memorial items from the intersection where Floyd was murdered last year.
A fist sculpture, which stands several feet tall and created a traffic roundabout, will remain in the middle of the intersection.
The removal of barriers means traffic can once again begin to flow through the intersection, although for now the fist statue will serve as a makeshift roundabout.
Within four hours, work in the area was complete, though protesters spent time shouting ‘no justice, no peace’ during some of the dismantling.
Additionally, two news photographers trying to document what was taking place were met with resistance, with one being threatened physically.
After the square was cleared, many people remained in the area to observe what had just taken place, although the dismantling passed-off peacefully, with community group members and protesters later seen eating coffee and donuts.
The garden that was in front of the sculpture will be moved to another location nearby, a community spokesperson said.
Construction crews were observed clearing George Floyd Square early on Thursday morning
City workers and a community-led group were helping to lead the clearing of the square
There were some protesters saying ‘no justice, no peace’ as the square was being cleared
The sculpture of the fist is expected to stay at the center of the intersection
When the fist was installed, it created a roundabout at the intersection in the square
The intersection used to consist of perpendicular streets that could be driven straight through
City of Minneapolis workers install a stop sign at the intersection of 38th and Chicago Avenue
City of Minneapolis workers wrap up after installing stop signs on Thursday
MA temporary barricade blocks vehicular access to George Floyd Square on June 3
A joint statement was issued by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins and City Council Member Alondra Cano.
‘The City’s three guiding principles for the reconnection of 38th and Chicago have been community safety, racial healing and economic stability and development for Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian and other communities of color,’ the statement reads.
‘The Agape Movement brought together community leadership to begin facilitating the phased reconnection this morning, with the City playing a supportive role. We are grateful for the partnership.
‘We are collectively committed to establishing a permanent memorial at the intersection, preserving the artwork, and making the area an enduring space for racial healing.’
The statement concludes: ‘Alongside City leadership, we have met on a regular basis with community members to discuss both the short-term path toward reconnecting this area and the long-term plan for the neighborhood with sustained investments to help restore and heal the community.’
Agape, a community group contracted by the city, coordinated the effort to clear the square
Some of the flowers in the square (pictured) were also being removed from the site
George Floyd Square became a gathering place for those mourning the death of George Floyd
A memorial was frequented at the square near where Floyd was killed by Derek Chauvin
In the past, Mayor Jacob Frey has called for a ‘phased reopening’ of the square.
The intersection at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue has been closed to traffic and became a primary gathering place for those mourning Floyd’s death.
The community group Agape, which contracted with the city to keep watch over the area, worked to coordinate the effort, according to city spokeswoman Sarah McKenzie.
Agape told KTSP that the the barricades were being removed for security purposes, as well as to promote community healing.
‘There’s a chance and a time for this community to get back to a new normal. That’s what we’re trying to establish,’ Agape Senior Advisor Steve Floyd told FOX 9.
The area – which some locals tried to declare an autonomous zone – has seen a spike in gun violence in recent months, with shooting victims dragged to ambulances that were unable to get into the square because of the barriers.
‘The fist sculpture is going to remain in the roundabout,’ McKenzie told the Star Tribune.
Police spokesman John Elder said that the police are not playing a role in the clearing of George Floyd Square.
But KARE 11 saw officers gathering in a nearby parking lot by 7:30am local time, in case tensions became too high.
A community leader speaks to residents at George Floyd Square on June 3
Minneapolis municipal workers clear George Floyd Square for traffic on June 3
The George Floyd Memorial is barricaded on June 3, 2021, as the city of Minneapolis orders the square cleared for traffic
A community leader speaks to residents at George Floyd Square on June 3
The memorial and square did create traffic problems at the intersection, though
Cars and buses were not able to drive through East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue
Otherwise, Agape was responsible for de-escalating any incidents taking place at the square.
As for the set-up around the sculpture itself, there are set to be ‘bumpouts’ around the sculpture, according to a city official, rather than the concrete barriers once there.
A more permanent solution regarding the memorial is being discussed between the city, community members, and Floyd’s family.
Some neighborhood residents and others have expressed frustration that the intersection has been closed to private and transit vehicles for nearly a year.
A bus route that went through the intersection has been unusable for a year, though service may be restored soon after the square is cleared.
That’s set to change soon, with Minneapolis Public Works employees spotted adding signage around the fist sculpture to signify the new roundabout.
Additionally, barriers are being added near Cup Foods for those intending to visit.
It’s not clear if the mayor or city council were aware of the fact that the clearing was going to take place at dawn on Thursday.
The city attorney for Minneapolis previously said that the city council and mayor would likely need to be the ones to approve of reopening the intersection.
DailyMail.com has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment.
Agape Movement adviser Steve Floyd is among those who support the memorial being scaled back, and told The New York Times: ‘We can focus on other things. We got to keep moving.’
A spokesman for Cup Foods – the nearby convenience store where Floyd was arrested after paying with a fake $20 bill – also backed the changes.
Jamar Nelson said: ‘Businesses can once again thrive. Now hopefully a memorial can be put in place, to respect the Floyd family and the community.’
And City of Minneapolis spokesman Sarah McKenzie said many other locals supported the move. She explained: ‘We certainly acknowledge this intersection will never return to normal, but we’ve heard from residents and businesses that really need to reconnect their neighborhood.’
On Twitter, many raged at the dismantling of the square – with some even claiming it was ‘violence.’
Local residents gather at George Floyd Square as it is cleared on June 3
A traffic sign signals directions around the monument at George Floyd Square
Workers are seen clearing out George Floyd Square in Minneapolis on Thursday
Minneapolis municipal workers clear George Floyd Square for traffic on June 3
One Twitter user captured construction crews dismantling the square in the early morning
George Floyd Square was the site of a shooting on the anniversary of Floyd’s death last month.
Multiple gunshots were fired in an alleged fight over parking near the George Floyd Square in Minneapolis as people marked the first anniversary of his death.
Associated Press Journalist Philip Crowther was shooting live video near the square when shots were heard about a block east of the intersection where he was posted. Crowther said a storefront window appeared to have been broken by a gunshot.
His video from the scene showed people running to seek cover as at least 30 shots rang out. The shooting came just hours before the square is to be the site of what’s billed as a family-friendly street festival marking the anniversary of Floyd’s death at the hands of police.
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted in April of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for pressing his knee against Floyd’s neck for about 9 1/2 minutes as Floyd pleaded for air while handcuffed face down on the street.
Chauvin has also been indicted on federal charges alleging he violated Floyd’s civil rights, as well as the civil rights of a 14-year-old he restrained in a 2017 arrest.
The three other former Minneapolis police officers involved in Floyd’s death were also charged with federal civil rights violations. They await trial in state court on aiding and abetting counts.
Minneapolis municipal workers clear George Floyd Square for traffic on June 3
Minneapolis spokesperson Sarah McKenzie said crews, along with a community group, are taking great care to preserve artwork and artifacts
George Floyd was murdered at the intersection on May 25 2020 after trying to buy cigarettes at Cup Foods convenience store with a fake $20 bill
Floyd was killed during an arrest in May 2020 by Derek Chauvin. The former Minneapolis police officer was guilty of second and third-degree murder and manslaughter after video captured the arrest, which the jury concluded led to Floyd’s death