Winston Smith Memorial at Minneapolis Parking Ramp

The Winston Smith Memorial is located on the roof of the parking ramp at 1525 West Lake Street in Minneapolis, where Smith died on June 3, 2020. Smith, a Black man, was shot and killed by law enforcement officers while he was sleeping in his vehicle on the ramp. His death occurred during the widespread protests that followed the murder of George Floyd. The memorial, consisting of flowers, candles, and other tributes, serves as a site of remembrance and a focal point for ongoing activism related to police brutality and racial justice. 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.