Brickbat: Following Too Closely

Former U.S. Capitol Police officer Thomas Smith was sentenced to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to deprivation of rights under color of law. In June 2020, Smith was patrolling the homes of members of Congress in the Georgetown area, when according to court documents, he started pursuing two motorcycles at a high rate of speed without running his lights. Prosecutors said Smith swerved his patrol car into one of the motorcycles, knocking the driver into the air and onto the asphalt. According to the indictment, Smith then left the injured driver unconscious on the ground, did not file a report on the incident, and falsified police records to cover up his actions.