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Hog-Tying Death Called A Homicide: Greensboro PD Releases Footage

Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan and the family of the victim Marcus Deon Smith.
Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan and the family of the victim Marcus Deon Smith.
Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan and the family of the victim Marcus Deon Smith.
Credit Jordan Green/Triad City Beat
Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan and the family of the victim Marcus Deon Smith.

The death of Marcus Deon Smith was declared a homicide by the state medical examiner’s office. Within hours of this news, a Guilford County superior court judge authorized the release of the camera footage from the incident, which shows Smith wandering in the street and behaving erratically and Greensboro police placing him in a controversial restraint many compare to “hog-tying.”

Host Frank Stasio speaks with Triad City Beat Senior reporter Jordan Green about the investigation into Greensboro police use of a controversial restraint which led to the death of Marcus Deon Smith.

He was transported by EMS and died at the hospital shortly after.Triad City Beat Senior reporter Jordan Greenhas been following this story. He joins host Frank Stasio with an update on the officers involved in the incident, community reaction and plans by the mayor of Greensboro to give officers more resources.

A compilation of body camera footage of the incident published by the city of Greensboro:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P55gefPZDVM

Copyright 2018 North Carolina Public Radio

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.
Dana is an award-winning producer who began as a personality at Rock 92. Once she started creating content for morning shows, she developed a love for producing. Dana has written and produced for local and syndicated commercial radio for over a decade. WUNC is her debut into public radio and she’s excited to tell deeper, richer stories.