Capitol Police officer facing criminal charges tied to hit-and-run cover-up resigns, sources say – By Chris Marquette (Roll Call) / Aug 9, 2022
Thomas Smith was charged after a collision left a motorcyclist injured
Thomas Smith, a veteran U.S. Capitol Police officer facing criminal charges for trying to cover up a 2020 hit-and-run in Georgetown that left a motorcyclist injured, has resigned from the department, sources said.
Smith was indicted in June on seven charges stemming from the crash, including obstructing justice, violating a person’s civil rights and falsifying records in a federal investigation.
On the evening of June 20, 2020, Smith, a patrol officer for the Special Operations Division, was driving a Capitol Police sedan around Georgetown to conduct security checks at the homes of members. Around 11:34 p.m., Smith closely followed two motorcycles at a high rate of speed and did so without seeking approval from a supervisor, the indictment alleges.
As Smith and one of the motorcycles, driven by a man identified as W.W., approached the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue Northwest and M Street Northwest, Smith accelerated his patrol car and swerved toward W.W.’s motorcycle, the indictment alleges. Smith allegedly hit the motorcycle, knocking W.W. into the air before he landed on the road, and the officer fled the scene in his car without taking any action to ensure the motorcyclist received medical attention.
