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A Pair Of Triad Police Interventions Raise Questions About Use Of Force

WUNC News | By Frank Stasio,
Laura Pellicer
Published November 20, 2018 at 12:14 PM EST
Kay Suber, Marcus Smith's sister, addresses the media. At left is Smith's mother, Mary Smith.
Courtesy Jordan Green
/
Triad City Beat
Kay Suber, Marcus Smith's sister, addresses the media. At left is Smith's mother, Mary Smith.

Two recent law enforcement interventions in Greensboro and Winston-Salem have prompted questions about police use of force. In Greensboro, Marcus Deon Smith died in the hospital hours after he was restrained by police in a position his family described as being “hogtied.” The family’s lawyer says the position left Smith unable to breathe. Smith’s family recently made a public request for Greensboro City Council members to review the police body camera footage from the incident.

Host Frank Stasio speaks with Triad City Beat Senior Editor Jordan Green about the use of excessive force by police and the effectiveness of body cameras.

In Winston-Salem, the city’s police department did publicly release body camera footage after the contentious arrest of a 14-year-old Hanes Magnet Middle School student by a school resource officer. The incident was caught on camera by a bystander, and local news organizations petitioned for the release of the full police body camera footage.

That video is now available on the Winston-Salem Police Department website. Host Frank Stasio speaks with Triad City Beat Senior Editor Jordan Green about the two stories and the bigger questions they raise about police body camera footage in North Carolina. 

Copyright 2018 North Carolina Public Radio
Frank Stasio
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
See stories by Frank Stasio
Laura Pellicer
Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.
See stories by Laura Pellicer