Winston Smith Memorial, Uptown Minneapolis

A memorial message reading "We love you Winston" is chalked onto a concrete pillar in Uptown Minneapolis. This marks the location where Winston Smith, a graffiti artist, was fatally shot by law enforcement on June 3, 2021. His death occurred during a period of heightened tension and protests in the city, following the murder of George Floyd the previous year. 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.