news-record.com

"Police tight-lipped in student's death" may be standard procedure but it won't stand in the case of Courtland Benjamin Smith, who was killed by an Archdale police officer on I-85 early Sunday.

The sparse details released so far -- that Smith was "suicidal" and called for help, then initiated a "confrontation" with responding officers -- leaves everything out.

Was the UNC-Chapel Hill student armed? Did he threaten the officers? What measures short of using deadly force did they attempt or have available? Where are the recordings of Smith's call for help and officers' communications? What sort of help did Smith request? Had he shown indications of depression or despair lately?

The SBI is conducting an investigation, but its finding likely won't be made public.

That won't be good enough.

Smith's family in Houston, Texas, hasn't made any public statement so far, and certainly it is pressing for information. I hope they are getting some.

My guess -- based on the fact that Smith attended private schools and could afford out-of-state tuition at Carolina -- is that the family has some financial resources.

If this happened to my son, I'd hire private investigators and attorneys to make sure all questions were answered.

What's been said so far isn't acceptable to the public, let alone to this young man's family.

Update: The N&O has talked with Smith's parents, who apparently have not been given much, if any, additional information. 

They say their son didn't own a gun and didn't show signs of being suicidal.

"His best friend was with him at 2 a.m. and said he was fine," Smith's mother said.

On campus, the popular student is being compared to Eve Carson, who was murdered last year.

These circumstances are much different, obviously, but exactly what led to Smith's death remains a mystery.

The Randolph County DA's office obtained a court order to prevent public release of the 911 tape.