Federally indicted Wood County constable charged with falsifying document

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - A new indictment filed Feb. 8 charges the Wood County Pct. 2 constable with falsifying a document. He was previously charged with causing unnecessary injury to a suspect.

Kelly Jason Smith, 47, of Mineola, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury on Nov. 10, 2022, in Sherman, Texas, charging him with deprivation of rights under color of law. According to the indictment, on July 25, Smith directed his police dog to “bite a suspect who did not pose a threat that warranted use of the police dog.” The indictment alleges the actions resulted in “unnecessary bodily injury to the suspect.”

The new indictment adds a second count against Smith. He is now accused of making false entries to an affidavit stating the suspect failed to comply with commands, when “in truth and in fact, no commands were issued,” the indictment said. Smith also allegedly claimed in the affidavit that he commanded his police dog to heel, when the indictment accuses him of directing it to bite. Smith is accused of intentionally obstructing the investigation with these two statements.

For falsifying a document, Smith could face up to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000.

Jury selection for his case is scheduled for June 26, and pretrial is set for June 20.

Related:

• Court looks to June for trial of federally indicted Wood County constable
• Wood County constable appears in federal court Tuesday
• Attorney says federally indicted Wood County constable was ‘merely doing his job’
• Wood County Pct. 2 constable accused of directing K9 to bite ‘non-threatening suspect’
• Wood County Pct. 2 Constable K9 team receives congressional honor

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