The following is about Tracy Bost, killed by NCCU police Sept. 23rd. He had been released from Durham jail the day before. We offer it as an important forum for a prisoner to remember him, and to counter media depictions of the deceased as a wanderer and career criminal.

To: ______, Inside-Outside Alliance

From: O.C.

Re: Remembrance

Date: 9/30/13

…(D)id I know Tracy Bost. I knew him very well. He not only slept beside me in the hole, he was my homeboy. We hail from Salisbury. I don’t know what made him do what he did, if what they say is true. All I know is just like me he had big plans. You can’t place all of the blame on him because I feel like the system failed him. Why I say that is because he had been locked down since 2009 for (charges), so he had 9 months past release, but he had a 4-county bid to do for assault on an officer that happened at Scotland (C.I. in Laurinburg), but no matter, when he finished the county time his parole officer was supposed to pick him up and transport him back to Salisbury just like they did me when I got out from ____ County.

They left that man to roam and wander without no way home or any help. R.I.P. Sin “T. Bost”

The boy was gifted, too. He could sing his ass off and write songs, too. Adversity causes some people to break and others to break records. The boy was a good dude if he messed with you, and boy could he eat. He was a vegan and in good shape. He did like 300 push ups every day. When I heard about (what happened) I was touched for real because that wasn’t part of the game plan at all. I just pray he went to a better place from here…

On the real don’t let the police paint him as a bad dude because he wasn’t, just a little lost needing HELP.