Activists and supporters of the family of Daniel Turcios, the man shot and killed by Raleigh police last month, are demanding justice through a peaceful protest Thursday evening in Moore Square.
Turcios and his family were in a rollover crash on Highway 440 near New Bern Avenue on January 11. Witnesses say Turcios was knocked unconscious and awoke disoriented. He also did not speak English, and when police swarmed the scene, Turcios did not understand their commands and brandished a small knife. After a tense confrontation, Turcios attempted to walk away from the scene and was tasered in the back by officer W.B. Tapscott. After he fell to the ground, police claim he swung the knife at the cops attempting to restrain him, prompting officer A.A. Smith to fire his gun five times at Turcios.
Police have released body camera footage of the incident, which is still being investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation and an autopsy report remains pending. Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman will ultimately decide whether any of the officers involved will face charges. Tapscott shot and killed Keith Collins in January 2020 but was never charged.
Thursday’s action, which has been organized by local groups including El Pueblo, Emancipate NC, and Refund Raleigh, will feature speakers and Turcios’s family members. The event will also include letter writing, sign making, and a peaceful march.
“A man, a father, a husband [was] murdered in cold blood in front of his family by Raleigh police,” El Pueblo organizer Veronica Aguilar told the INDY. “Nothing is ever going to bring justice to this family—we are not able to bring back the loved one we lost—but in this case what we are demanding is some accountability and transparency from the Raleigh Police Department.”
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