Savanna police officer sentenced to 40 years

Savanna police officer

Savanna police officer, Jeffrey Scott Smith, 35, was sentenced by a federal judge to 40 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman during a traffic stop and obstructing justice by turning off his body-worn camera and dash camera in an effort to avoid recording the assault.

This case represents the first sexual assault conviction and sentence under the 2022 Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act that added enhanced penalties for civil rights offenses involving sexual misconduct.

Evidence presented at trial established that on Nov. 2, 2022, Smith, working his first solo shift for SPD, conducted a traffic stop of the victim, K.H., and her then-boyfriend, J.G.  After running their licenses, Smith realized that J.G.’s license had recently expired.  He had J.G. and K.H. get out of J.G.’s car to switch who was driving.  Smith issued J.G. a speeding ticket, and then began asking personal questions, including how long they had been in their relationship.  At this point, while still speaking to J.G. and K.H., Smith manually deactivated his SPD body worn camera (BWC).

Smith then asked K.H. what she did for work.  K.H. reluctantly admitted that she danced at a gentlemen’s club.  Upon hearing K.H.’s answer, Smith asked to search J.G.’s car.  During the search, Smith looked in K.H.’s purse and found a pre-rolled promotional marijuana cigarette from K.H.’s work.  Rather than arrest her, or issue her a ticket, Smith walked back to his patrol car and manually deactivated his dashboard camera.  Once the defendant had K.H. in his vehicle he sexually assaulted her.

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