Graffiti: “The Blood Is On Your Hands” in Uptown Minneapolis

Graffiti reading "The Blood Is On Your Hands" with red handprints is spray-painted on the pavement outside the parking ramp where Winston Smith died after being shot by law enforcement on June 3, 2021. This location is in Uptown Minneapolis, a neighborhood that experienced significant unrest following Smith's death. The message serves as a protest against police brutality and the actions of law enforcement. On June 3, 2021, members of a U.S. Marshals Service fugitive task force fatally shot 32-year-old Winston “Boogie” Smith Jr. on the top level of a parking ramp in Minneapolis’ Uptown neighborhood while attempting to arrest him on a felony warrant. Authorities said Smith fired a handgun from inside his vehicle during the encounter, while family members and activists questioned the official account and demanded the release of additional evidence. The killing led to weeks of protests, street occupations, and confrontations with police in Uptown, becoming another major flashpoint in Minneapolis during the period following the murder of George Floyd. Earlier in the day Minneapolis city officials along with The Agape Movement coordinated to open the streets that had been closed at George Floyd Square since his murder.

Photo taken in June 2021.