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The federal agency whose task force fatally shot Winston "Boogie" Smith Jr. while trying to arrest him in a Minneapolis parking ramp usually keeps a low profile.
But amid a national push for police accountability, critics now are questioning the often-secret actions of the U.S. Marshals Service, including why and how it oversaw the operation that resulted in Smith's death.
"The reason you don't know much about the Marshals Service is that's the way they operate," said Thomas Heffelfinger, former U.S. attorney for Minnesota. "The secrecy under which they operate is to some degree consistent with their mission, which is done much more effectively if done quietly."