Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Katharine R. Smith was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving over the weekend, and during the incident, she allegedly made a racist comment to the officer who stopped her.
According to a police report, Smith, who is an assistant state’s attorney in the felony unit, was taken into custody after she was spotted weaving and speeding on the Palos Township roadways. When the officer asked her to step out of her vehicle, she allegedly became belligerent and resistant to testing for intoxication.
The police report states that as Smith was being led away in handcuffs, she made a lewd and lascivious comment to the arresting officer, referring to a African American female officer on the scene by using a racial slur. This incident was captured on the dashcam footage of the police cruiser.
The arresting officer was able to arrest Smith, who failed a field sobriety test, and she was taken to the station for further testing. Her blood alcohol content (BAC) was confirmed to be over the legal limit of 0.08%.
Smith was subsequently charged with two counts of felony DWI, as well as a DUI excerpt from her state job. She is being held at the Cook County Jail pending trial.
