The latest chapter of a difficult offseason for the Ravens occurred Saturday night as starting cornerback Jimmy Smith was arrested and charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
According to The Sun, Smith was cited for failing to obey a lawful order of a police officer in an incident at The Greene Turtle in Towson. The 25-year-old was assisting an intoxicated female who was unconscious in the bathroom when Baltimore County police arrived on the scene.
Smith told police that he and the woman had taken part in a photo shoot together earlier in the evening. According to the police report, officers found a small bag of what was believed to be cocaine in the woman’s purse.
After medical personnel arrived, Smith allegedly refused police’s requests to step aside, insisting he was trying to help the woman. The defensive back was then arrested after becoming argumentative but did cooperate after being taken into custody. Smith was released at approximately 11:15 p.m. Saturday night after being issued a citation with a court date pending.
This marks the fifth arrest of a Ravens player this offseason, joining running back Ray Rice (felony aggravated assault), offensive lineman Jah Reid (misdemeanor battery), wide receiver Deonte Thompson (felony possession of marijuana), and rookie running back Lorenzo Taliaferro (misdemeanor destruction of property, drunk and disorderly). Rice and Reid were accepted into pretrial intervention programs while the case against Thompson was dismissed. Taliaferro has a court date scheduled at the end of the month.
Despite a checkered past at the University of Colorado that included at least one reported failed drug test and citations for underage drinking and third-degree assault, Smith hadn’t been in trouble with the law since being selected in the first round of the 2011 draft by the Ravens.
After two injury-riddled seasons to begin his career, Smith blossomed to become one of the Ravens’ best defensive players in 2013, collecting 58 tackles, two interceptions, and 15 pass breakups in 16 starts. In his career, Smith has accumulated 112 tackles, four interceptions, and 26 pass breakups.
Veterans report to Owings Mills for the start of training camp on July 23.
