Just weeks before a Milwaukee Police officer shot and killed Sylville Smith after a traffic stop, Smith encountered police at a different traffic stop.
TODAY'S TMJ4 learned Thursday Smith was pulled over on July 22nd after an officer described in an incident report seeing suspected drug activity. The officer describes a man walking up to Smith's car and having an exchange he believed to be a drug deal.
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The incident report said the officer then pulled Smith, whose girlfriend was in the car, over for overly tinted windows. During the traffic stop, the officer writes he smelled marijuana and found a substance later confirmed as crack cocaine in the car. In addition to the drugs, the documents show the officer found five cell phones, two of Smith's girlfriend's, three claimed by him, significant amounts of cash and hand sanitizer.
The officer claims in the West Allis Police Incident Report that hand sanitizer is often used by drug dealers after removing drugs from their body. West Allis Police tried to do a strip search, but Smith did not cooperate.
The Milwaukee County District Attorney's office tells TODAY'S TMJ4 the case is still pending.
