Iowa State Trooper is facing federal charges for violent arrest — and could get 10 years in prison
November 11, 2021
An Iowa State Trooper's dash camera captured an incident in which he pulled over a motorcyclist, exited his vehicle with his gun drawn as the man's hands were up. The cop then bashes the motorcyclist over his bike, which falls and the officer then drags him to the ground, where he bashed the man's head into the concrete and then placed his knee on the man's neck.
Robert James Smith, who has now resigned from the Iowa Highway Patrol, was indicted Wednesday for using excessive force on Bryce Yakish, the driver of the motorcycle, reported local KCRG.
According to the filing, Yakish had to have medical attention due to what Smith did to him.
The state settled a lawsuit alleging Smith "falsely arrested Yakish and then lied about what happened." According to the complaint, Smith said that Yakish "resisted arrest" for a routine traffic stop. "Yakish lost his license because of the arrest, his motorcycle was impounded and he spent the night in jail," the report said. The state paid out $225,000 for the incident, The Gazette reported.
Another problem for Smith is that this isn't his first time using excessive force. A Durant, Iowa woman also made an allegation of excessive force during an arrest.
"Cedar County Sheriff Warren Wethington released the video in 2019 after announcing he would no longer book any suspects arrested by Trooper Smith at his jail because he could not vouch for the officer's credibility," said The Gazette. "Prosecutors also dismissed several cases brought by Smith, saying he was no longer a credible witness."
See the dash cam video below:
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