Dallas Police Lt. On Leave Over Website
DALLAS (CBS 11 NEWS) – Dallas Police Lt. Regina Smith, the widow of an officer killed in duty, is on administrative leave, after posting a video online, which shows her dressed in provocative clothes and firing her gun.
Sources tell CBS11 she's been stripped of her police credentials and ordered to stay at home during normal working hours, while the department completes an internal investigation into her conduct.
The videos in question appear on her website, BigRushin.com, which promotes her own private record label.
It's named after her late husband, Dallas police Senior Corporal Norman Smith, who often went by the nickname 'Big Russian. He was shot and killed in January 2009, while attempting to serve an arrest warrant at an apartment complex.
His widow, seen then grieving at his gravesite, now appears in a much different light, in her own videos.
"I got Ms. Lucy right here. Ms. Lucy ain't loaded," says Smith, while flashing her gun in one, titled "Reality Show – Broken Blues."
Smith goes on to show off her shooting skills, pulling the trigger while balancing a quarter on top of the barrel.
She also talks about her new effort to break into the music industry, offering up a strong warning while displaying a bullet.
"You know what I would do if somebody tried to take advantage of me. You see this bullet right here? I'd stick it from their rooter to their tooter and bring it out again," she said.
On the website, she goes by the name 'Lucille Baller', poses in short skirts, tight dresses, and a colorful wig.
She doesn't hide the fact that she's a police officer, often referencing her police work and even posting pictures of her and her husband in uniform.
"My life has been in a state of deep remorse and grief over losing him," she says.
She also openly criticizes the department for its treatment of her.
"I have been alone in my struggle, as far as support from the department," she says.
The department is now reviewing the website and its content for any policy violations.
Its code of conduct limits how and when an officer can carry a gun.
It also prohibits conduct that would lower the public's respect for the officer or the department.
CBS11 found Smith at home Tuesday night.
She said, the business was a tribute to her husband and that she has first amendment rights.
She claimed her actions had been misconstrued by the media and the department.
Update: 11/28
The website bigrushin.com has now been shut down. The site says it's currently under construction.
Although there were other officers that could be seen on the website, Dallas Police sources say no other officer is currently under investigation.
Parkland doctor Elizabeth Paulk says grief affects people differently and can affect a person's behavior. "If you compare spousal loss to the loss of a parent spousal loss is far more traumatic and for some it is the single most traumatic event in the course of their lives."
In a statement Smith's attorney, Chris Livingston, had this to say:
"She is working on an approved personal business in which she is attempting to honor her husband Norman Smith. If some of her humor and actions were taken the wrong way that was not her intent. She tried to be respectful to the rules of conduct of the Dallas Police Department and will cooperate fully in the investigation."
More From CBS 11's Sharrie Williams:
Also Check Out:
