Richmond Police Chief Steps Down

Less than a year after taking the job, Richmond Police Chief William Smith resigns in relation to police response at protests

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Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the Richmond Police Department’s West Grace Street headquarters on Sunday night to demand the release of detained protesters and oppose the use of excessive police force. As they clashed with officers in riot gear, 5th District Richmond City Councilmember Stephanie Lynch was called to the scene by her constituents and attempted to get information from police about an organizer who was detained.

Moments later, she was tear-gassed as others in the crowd were hit with pepper spray and rubber bullets.

“I was literally standing talking with the cops and with organizers as tear gas erupted into the crowd, and we were all battered back by the shields of the officers,” Lynch says.

In a news release issued after the incident, the Richmond Police Department said organizers “were intent on provocation and creating mayhem by throwing rocks and other objects at the officers on duty,” but Lynch says police escalated violence at the scene, not demonstrators.

It was one of the final displays of police force under the leadership of Richmond Police Chief William Smith, who resigned on Tuesday at the request of Mayor Levar Stoney. Smith led the city’s police force since June 26, 2019.

Maj. William Jody Blackwell will take over as interim police chief. In his new role, Stoney says Blackwell will focus on implementing necessary public safety reforms and efforts to build trust between police and the Richmond community.

“I have high expectations for the Richmond Police Department,” Stoney said at a news conference where he announced the change. “At a very minimum, I expect them to be willing to come around the table with the community to reform and reimagine public safety, so it boils down to whether the leadership of RPD embraces the change or stands in the way.”

The announcement followed another weekend of tension in the city after a Richmond police SUV drove through a group of protesters gathered near the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue Saturday. The officer involved has been placed on administrative leave, and Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Colette McEachin is investigating the incident. Calls for Smith’s resignation were heightened after Richmond police officers fired tear gas and pepper sprayed protesters gathered at the Lee monument before curfew on June 1. 

Lynch sees Smith’s removal as a step in the right direction for the city, but says systemic racial biases in Richmond’s criminal justice system will need to be eliminated for lasting change to occur.

“We’re going to need to take a very comprehensive look at our systems and our structure and really dismantle some of the policies that have perpetuated racial disparities in our community,” she says.

State legislators also have spoken out against violent police response to peaceful protests in Richmond. In recent weeks, Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D-Chesterfield) released a call to action outlining legislative steps to minimize police violence at the local, state and federal levels, and says criminal justice reform is likely to be a major topic during the General Assembly’s special session this summer.

In the document, Hashmi outlines plans to present legislation that would:

  • ban the use of chokeholds and other lethal restraints;
  • implement the statewide use of police body cameras;
  • ban the rehiring of police officers who have previously been cited for violence or abusive misconduct; and
  • create secure channels for police officers to report abuses committed by other officers.

“It's sometimes expedient to say that one person is responsible for this, but I think we know that these are issues and challenges that are really very, very deep seated and far ranging,” Hashmi says. “I think we all have a responsibility to demonstrate leadership, so at the state level, I've got a responsibility, [and] my fellow lawmakers have a role to play in this.”

During Tuesday’s news conference, Stoney also endorsed the formation of a citizen review board to hold police accountable for uses of excessive force and the implementation of the Marcus Alert, which would require mental health professionals to respond to mental health crises before police. Local organizers have called for both reforms since at least 2018.

Stoney also pledged to strengthen RPD’s ban on chokeholds and its duty-to-intervene policy, and to create a Task Force on Reimagining Public Safety. The panel will comprise more than 20 members from activist, legal, academic, law enforcement, behavioral health and other fields and will craft steps for the city to take within 90 days of its first meeting.

“We can’t expect our police officers to serve as social workers, psychologists and juvenile trauma experts, intervening in these situations because America hasn’t properly prioritized other service providers,” Stoney said. “It does not make our country, or our city, safer.”

Princess Blanding is the sister of Marcus-David Peters, a Richmond teacher who was killed by police in 2018 while suffering a mental health crisis. She says she supports the changes, but needs to see promises manifested into action.

“The clock is ticking, and it’s ticking loud,” she says. “It’s time for the city of Richmond and the state of Virginia to start making very concrete actions. The people are not going to step down, as evidenced by every night of mobilization.”