Can embarrassment and personal demons be squelched with money?
It would seem so and that $169,800 is all that’s needed!
I’m referring to the Iron Pigs MC member and Seattle police detective Ronald Smith.
It probably comes as no surprise that Smith, who as you may recall shot a member of the Hells Angels MC in Sturgis a couple years ago has filed a lawsuit against the city of Seattle and the Seattle Police Department. The suit alleges the department disparaged him and negligently provided false information that led to his indictment on a perjury charge.
Disregard that all charges were dropped and why let any of the facts get in the way when Mr. Smith sees dollar signs. The only thing missing in this little drama is an attorney to throw in the proverbial race card and get the ACLU marching.
I’ve blogged about this incident HERE, HERE and HERE as well as provided a number of updates. A brief recap is during the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Smith, who was in Sturgis with members of the Iron Pigs, a motorcycle club composed of LEO’s and firefighters shot and wounded a Hells Angels MC member, Joseph Patrick McGuire, in self-defense during a fight in the Loud American Roadhouse on Aug. 9, 2008. Smith was charged in Meade County, S.D., Circuit Court with the felonies of aggravated assault and perjury. He also was charged with a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit.
Now comes the pain and suffering. Mr. Smith claims he was “guilty until proven innocent,” shunned and neglected. Huh? The lawsuit contends his reputation was harmed by the criminal charges and that shortly after the incident, the Seattle Police Chief at the time, Gil Kerlikowske said during a public-relations event that Smith was an “embarrassment” to the department and would “not be working for him much longer.”
That working for him part was absolutely correct! Shortly after Mr. Kerlikowske became the “drug czar” or the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy for Obama. He is responsible for advising the president on drug control programs, and for coordinating drug policies among all federal agencies.
My point? While the various bloggers have raged back and forth between supporters of the police to distrust of the police and the justice system…could someone, even the Seattle Police Chief please just apologize to Mr. Smith before he continues to take all of your hard earned tax dollars.
Photo courtesy Flickr and Iron Pigs MC.
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Northwest Harley Blog 
[$169,800 is all that’s needed]
That’s it? Taxpayers are getting off cheap if that’s all he wants.
Your story is a bit misleading here. But maybe that was your intention in order to create some discourse.
If so, it worked and I’ll bite…
When the Chief told Smith he wasn’t going to be working for him much longer it was not because the Chief was leaving for a new position. Come on. You and I know what the Chief meant so lets keep the record straight ok? It meant Smith was going to lose his job. You can probably ad that his pension would have gone right along with it.
So for awhile there, Smith wasn’t sure where his next paycheck was going to come from – given Kerlikowske’s “embarrassment to the department and would not be working for him much longer” comment. Nice work there Chief standing by your people like you did…..
Anyway, Smith was turned into a Gumby (the rubber action toy) by the various bloggers raging back and forth; convicted and hanged in effigy before the investigation was even concluded.
The Chief should have kept his mouth shut until the investigation was completed. His fop-ah is going to cost the department’s insurance company some money. Maybe he learned something.
‘Biker Cops MC’ sumptin don’t figure here in my book…
What happened to America? We have to many lines drawn between each other.. If you can be charged as a group under the rico act because of the choices one person makes, then why is every leo not being charged with murder and assisted suicide after that leo killed his family and himself this past week in gig harbor?? O thats right he was a cop so thats different!!!!!!! B.S. That situation was no different than any clup member having a hard time in life and things going the wrong way,,, o thats the clubs fault the law would say ,,. how about that fake ass wanna be biker cop hanging out in South Dakota. Its quite simple if youre not black dont dress and talk like you are and go hang out in a club in Compton, California because you think it would be cool to hang out with gang bangers, get youre ass kicked then wonder o gee why did that happen to me. Its a spit in the face to society in general that police officers can have such a club as the iron pigs, ride in groups and so on and get away with anything. That is the message that is being sent because of the shooting situation.. Welcome to the human race club or no club people make mistakes and thats it in a nut shell. All of the laws should be taken off the books that target motorcycle clubs.People need to be held accountable for their own actions, not groups for one group members actions. Either that or allow street justice to hold up in a court of law…..
The Fraternal Order of Coverup wins another round in allowing the guilty to remain free.
“….Smith was originally charged with perjury after some confusion over whether he used a personal handgun or his department-issued weapon in the shooting.
While Smith claimed he used his personal firearm, South Dakota authorities said records obtained from the Seattle Police Department showed that the gun had been issued by the department. That led to the charge of perjury….”
The losers here are the taxpayers….and for the record, I am not against cops, just against corruption! This rogue officer reeks of corruption! JMO