Update 10/19: A U.S. Capitol Police officer pleaded guilty Wednesday to violating a person’s civil rights after engaging in a reckless pursuit, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. The former officer, Thomas Smith, faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Smith had been conducting a security checks at the home of a member of Congress in Georgetown in June 2020 when he began to pursue individuals riding motorized cycles, according to court documents. Then he struck one of them at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street and left the scene, per the documents. He later attempted to cover up records of the incident.

“Former officer Smith violated the Constitution and abused his position by recklessly engaging in a dangerous pursuit that resulted in an unnecessary collision that could have had devastating results,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves in a statement.Smith pleaded guilty to deprivation of rights under color of law. Sentencing in the case is scheduled for January 22, 2024.

Original: A U.S. Capitol Police officer has been indicted by a federal grand jury after allegedly crashing his police car into a motorized cyclist, injuring them, and then fleeing the scene and trying to cover up his involvement in the incident. The officer, Thomas Smith, faces charges of violating a person’s civil rights and obstructing justice.

At the time of the incident in June of 2020, Smith was a patrol officer in the Capitol Police special operations division and had been on the force for a decade.

Smith pleaded not guilty to the charges in District of Columbia District Court on Friday. He was ordered released before trial under certain conditions, including participation in an alcohol treatment program. Smith’s attorney told DCist/WAMU in an email that he had no further comment at this time.

According to the indictment, Smith was supposed to be checking in on the security of a member of Congress at their home in Georgetown when he began pursuing two motorized cycles. Driving a marked Capitol Police sedan, Smith “followed closely behind these vehicles at a high rate of speed,” the indictment says.

Capitol Police policy prohibits officers from vehicular pursuits outside Capitol grounds, except in emergencies that have been approved by a supervisor — and, the indictment alleges, Smith did not notify dispatch or ask for a supervisor’s approval to conduct the chase of the motorized cyclists.

At the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street Northwest, the indictment says Smith crashed his vehicle into one of the cyclists. The victim was knocked into the air and then hit the road, according to prosecutors. They suffered abrasions on their face, head, arms and knees, along with a possible concussion and seizure, according to prosecutors.

Smith did not call for medical assistance or stay at the scene to help the injured victim who was lying in the street, according to the indictment. He drove his sedan around them and continued south on Wisconsin Avenue towards the Potomac riverfront.

The indictment charges him with depriving the victim of his rights under the color of law and alleges that Smith acted “with deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of harm” to the victim by “knowingly driving away without rendering aid, without alerting medical authorities, and without taking other reasonable steps to obtain assistance … despite the substantial risk that [the victim] was injured and in need of medical attention.”

Then, the indictment alleges, Smith “attempted to hide his conduct,” by failing to report the crash, falsifying police forms, and later lying to his sergeant.

The indictment alleges that Smith logged a false entry into the Capitol Police computer system, saying that he had conducted the check on the member of Congress and that their location appeared secure. The indictment also alleges that Smith swapped out his police sedan, which was damaged from the incident, for a Capitol Police SUV. The indictment says Smith falsely entered into a police equipment log that he had been using the SUV, and not the sedan, for his shift — and  that he had started his shift later than he actually had.

When D.C. police called Capitol Police officials about the crash, Smith’s sergeant asked him if he knew about it. But, the indictment alleges, Smith lied to the sergeant, saying he was unaware of the crash and that he had been driving the SUV during his entire shift.

According to a statement Capitol Police issued after the indictment was unsealed Friday, the department revoked Smith’s police powers and suspended him without pay “immediately after the 2020 crash.” The police department also launched an administrative investigation.

“The public’s trust is critical for any law enforcement agency and integrity is the most important quality for any law enforcement officer,” said U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger in the statement.

In a court filing, prosecutors wrote that Smith also has a pending animal cruelty case in Maryland.

Amanda Michelle Gomez contributed reporting.