In a surprise announcement following a closed-door meeting on Tuesday, Greensboro City Council announced it would not pursue an independent investigation into the death of Marcus Smith, or into police procedures that may have been a factor. Activists have been calling for accountability in the death of the 38-year-old Smith, who died in police custody in 2018. Smith had been homeless and apparently experiencing a mental health crisis when officers wrestled him to the ground and used a restraint method known as “hogtying.”