Veteran Brunswick cop resigns after DUI arrest
Apr. 20—Veteran Brunswick Police Capt. Anthony Smith submitted a letter of resignation Monday, a move that followed his arrest Friday night for DUI after he allegedly struck and injured a 67-year-old woman while driving in the 1400 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
In his letter, the 32-year veteran of the Brunswick Police Department said he has decided to "put in for retirement."
The letter thanked the police department and the city "for allowing me to try my best to serve the citizens and the city" for more than 30 years.
The resignation letter was placed Monday afternoon on the desk of Brunswick Police Chief Kevin Jones.
"It has been a rewarding experience, but I must now find a new path in life," Smith, 64, said in the letter.
The victim was walking north beside the northbound lane of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at around 10:11 p.m. Friday when she was allegedly struck by the right front side of Smith's 2022 Ford Explorer, according to a Georgia State Patrol report obtained Tuesday by The News.
The woman was transported via ambulance to Southeast Georgia Health System's Brunswick hospital, where she was treated for broken ribs and a laceration, according to state troopers and city police.
State troopers allege Smith was driving under the influence of alcohol, which is listed as the chief contributing factor to the incident, according to the report.
A blood sample was taken from Smith, the results of which are pending from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Crime Lab in Pooler, according to the state patrol.
When responding city police officers realized the incident involved an off-duty city police officer, the case was turned over to the state patrol.
Smith was on Monck Street when he turned left onto the northbound lane of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, according to the state patrol. The woman and another woman were walking along the northbound shoulder of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard just north of Monck Street, troopers said.
The other woman told troopers her companion was struck after "the driver made a wide turn" onto Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, according to the report.
"The driver stated he made a left turn onto MLK Jr. Blvd.," the report said of Smith. "When he made the turn he did not see them walking."
The contact left "minor marks" on Smith's vehicle, the report said.
The state patrol's report lists driving under the influence of alcohol and the driver's condition as the chief contributing factors to the incident.
