St. Louis Gave Dead Drug Dealer Their Highest Honor, Now Alderman Wants His Name Removed From It

St. Louis Alderman Larry Arnowitz wants his name taken off a resolution the board passed that honored a dead drug dealer.

Alderman Larry Arnowitz Wasn’t Present When Resolution Honoring Anthony Lamar Smith Was Passed

St. Louis, Missouri – A St. Louis Alderman wants his name to be removed from a controversial resolution passed by the Board of Aldermen that honored a drug dealer who was killed by police after ramming their police vehicles while fleeing a drug deal.

Larry Arnowitz, the 12^th Ward Alderman, wasn’t present when the resolution was passed, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

“If we’re going to do resolutions for grieving mothers, we need to do this for all the mothers in the city of St. Louis and not just pick and choose,” Arnowitz said.

On June 14, Arnowitz changed his Facebook profile by using a “Back the Blue” frame.

On Sept. 16, former St. Louis Police Officer Jason Stockley was acquitted of killing Anthony Smith in 2011. Six days later the resolution was passed unanimously.

“(Smith’s) death has sparked a universal cry for justice and accountability throughout the City of St. Louis,” the resolution stated. The resolution lists the names of all 28 aldermen. It mentioned Smith’s interests in sports and the arts, as well as his dream of becoming a professional clothing designer, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Many commenters on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch homepage were angry with the resolution.

“The criminals get more rights and special treatment and honors. While the police who go to work daily and get killed just for doing their jobs, and get scapegoated by a very liberal mayor who has no common sense of decency,” Heather Frayer posted on the newspaper’s website. “Did she hug the woman whose police officer husband was murdered by a drug dealer? I guess I won’t be going up to St. Louis to spend my money any time soon.”

“I’m sorry I missed Heroin Dealer’s Day on Friday,” said David C Busby, referring to the day the resolution was passed.

“Let’s erect a statue of this thug and name a street after him,” said Mark Fletcher. “What a pathetic cesspool has St. Louis become. Make’s me embarrassed to be a native of the St. Louis area.”