Judge declares mistrial in case against former Iowa trooper

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge has declared a mistrial in the case of a former Iowa state trooper who was charged with using unreasonable force against a motorcyclist. The judge declared the mistrial Friday after jurors said they couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict on the charges against Robert James Smith. Smith was charged with deprivation of rights under color of law — use of unreasonable force that causes bodily injury after a 2017 traffic stop of a motorcyclist who had been speeding in eastern Iowa. Dash camera video showed Smith knocking the motorcyclist to the ground and briefly putting his knee on the motorcyclist’s neck. Court records don’t indicate whether federal prosecutors will retry Smith.