Family and NAACP demand justice from police in connection with their son’s death

The Arlington chapter of the Virginia NAACP has dedicated itself to supporting the family of Tori Thompson, who died of a fentanyl overdose outside a motel last year. Thompson’s family says they were not informed of the 33-year-old’s death until her ashes were sent to their home more than four months later. The family is demanding answers from Arlington police for allegedly failing to inform Thompson’s loved ones of his death.

As reported during a press conference on July 3, the NAACP and Thompson’s family gathered with the community to honor Tori’s life and demand that police be held accountable for their failures.

Angela Thompson, Tori’s mother, spoke to the crowd gathered on Langston Boulevard about how she felt unfairly treated by the Arlington Police Department.

She said: “They didn’t tell me he died and they lied about it. And I don’t think that’s fair.”

“My son died, he had his birth certificate with him, a letter from me saying ‘Love, Mom,’ and my family and I lived in the same house for over 20 years. There was no reason not to give notice,” Angela continued.

“His daughters didn’t have a funeral. They have this. Thank you for coming. Tori is important.”

Tori’s death occurred in the parking lot of an Arlington hotel and he was cremated without the family’s consent. He died on July 5, 2023, and the Thompson family has been vocal in demanding transparency from police after being denied notification of his death.

The Arlington Police Department has only just begun to take the family’s concerns seriously and take steps to improve, Fox 5 DC.

The department said: “It is committed to conducting thorough and comprehensive death investigations and treating all individuals with dignity and respect.”

Additionally, they told the outlet they met with the Thompson family in February to discuss the investigation into Tori’s death and to give the Daily the opportunity to express their concerns directly.

Due to the failure to report, the district prosecutor’s office has offered officers and detectives from all homicide and robbery departments further training on the correct procedure for dealing with “uncollected bodies”.

Arlington Police also stated, “Additional procedures have been put in place, including requiring the Homicide and Robbery Unit Chief to review each case and ensure that all steps have been taken before beginning a search for unclaimed bodies.”

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