NEWPORT — “I could give you a hard time if I wanted to, but I’m not,” Trevor Smith is reported to have said on March 12, following a strange incident that landed him in front of a judge, facing a felony charge.
Smith, 32, of Newport, was arrested after he repeatedly offered to help police transport a child that was left outside shortly during an arrest on Route 105 in Derby, while the child’s mother was being arrested. Smith pled innocent to the charge of impeding a public officer.
On March 12, police had an arrest warrant for a woman that they found walking down Route 105. The woman was pushing her baby in a stroller. It was cold and snowing outside.
After placing the woman under arrest, the officers were trying to figure out how they were going to transport the child. A car pulled up, and Smith got out and approached the officers. According to the trooper, Smith asked if he could give anyone a ride. It is reported that the trooper thanked him and told him his help was not required and asked him to leave.
As they tried to deal with the situation at hand, troopers say that Smith stayed and asked if they intended to keep the child outside in the snowstorm. He was again asked to leave, and told that his car was not allowed to be kept where it was.
Smith is said to have walked away to some distance, but continued to “hover” around the area.
After a short time he again approached the officers, and upon getting within three feet of the trooper, was asked to turn around so that he could be handcuffed. Smith complied, putting his hands behind his back.
He was taken into custody, and charged with the felony. He recently pled innocent to the charge, and was released after posting $500 bail.
