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Police report reveals details of mayoral candidate’s scuffle

By The Associated Press
Published: October 10. 2012 4:00AM PST
Smith

Smith

PORTLAND — A Eugene police report provides new details about a physical altercation at a party nearly 20 years ago between Portland mayoral candidate Jefferson Smith and a woman, and it partially contradicts the version of events provided by Smith last week.

The report was released by the attorney for the woman who says Smith punched her in the face at an October 1993 party near the University of Oregon, where Smith was a 20-year-old student at the time.

Though Smith has said he didn’t know the woman before the scuffle, the report says the woman had repeatedly rejected his sexual advances at a different party earlier in the evening.

“He really popped me," the woman said of the punch that landed above her left eye, causing a gash that required stitches.

Smith, a state legislator, is running against Charlie Hales in the Nov. 6 election. Even before Willamette Week broke the news of the altercation, Smith’s campaign has been dogged by revelations about his ejection from two sports leagues because of rough play and a record of seven driver’s license suspensions.

Smith answered questions about the fight at an Oct. 1 news conference. He said he was defending himself after the woman charged at him under the mistaken belief he had shaken the couch on which she was sleeping.

The police report written by Officer Alan Thhomas supports Smith’s recollection that the woman had been on the couch before the altercation, and that she was upset when someone shook it.

Thomas wrote that the woman approached Smith and accused him of being the culprit.

“She had touched his chest, which caused him to grab her arms," the officer wrote. “She said he suddenly drew back and struck her once in the left eye with his closed fist. This ended the confrontation."

The woman told the officer that Smith had been coming on to her “all evening" at another party.

Besides being interviewed by police, the woman provided investigators with a handwritten account of the night.

The woman wrote that at the earlier party, Smith questioned her about her sexual experiences and asked about the two of them “getting together for the night." The woman said she told Smith no, saying it would be against her morals.

“His reply was: ‘Pound that 40 ounces of beer right there and it won’t be against your morals,’" the woman wrote.

Smith’s campaign manager, Henry Kraemer, sent a statement from the candidate to The Oregonian following the release of the police report.

“I have tried to be truthful about what happened, and at least four people who were there (including those I haven’t spoken to in nearly 20 years) have confirmed that I was defending myself after being struck repeatedly. I’ve tried to take responsibility for my actions — then and now."

Smith was charged with assaulting the woman, but the misdemeanor was dropped when he paid her medical bills and did community service.

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