GREENSBORO, N.C. — The City of Greensboro settled a lawsuit for the wrongful death of Marcus Smith with his family after their city council meeting Tuesday evening.
City Attorney, Chuck Watts, said the total settlement is $2.57 million, with most of it to be paid by the City of Greensboro while the rest, will be paid by Guilford County.
The city had a closed session for almost an hour and a half. The city attorney did not mention how much the City will pay individually, but they said the money would benefit the parents and children of Smith.
Along with payment, the city will have a commemorative plaque made to recognize that Marcus Smith's life mattered.
The city will soon request judicial approval of settlement and dismissal of the lawsuit without any findings of wrongdoing or liability. Once it’s processed, Watts said, “The parties intend to move forward in the spirit of respect and reconciliation." Watts also mentioned that he's not commenting until the processing is complete because the situation is considered classified. “Mediation setting, so further comment is inappropriate,” Watts expressed.
Marcus Smith died in Greensboro Police custody after being restrained in September 2018. The Smith family believed the way he was restrained is what killed him. They called it hogtying.
The autopsy from the Medical Examiner's Office showed several factors in his death including, cardiac arrest due to restraint, drugs, and an underlying heart condition.
The District Attorney did not file criminal charges because they said officers meant to help, not hurt Smith.