photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

Jeffrey Montgomery Smith is escorted out of the courtroom by a Douglas County sheriff's deputy on April 10, 2025, in Douglas County District Court.

Two people testified on Wednesday about the fear and injury they suffered at the hands of a Eudora man; one of them was a Lawrence police officer who required reconstructive surgery after her nose was broken in the attack.

The defendant, Jeffrey Montgomery Smith, 61, is charged with one count of aggravated battery against a law enforcement officer and one count of criminal threat against another individual, both felonies. He is also charged with one misdemeanor count of criminal damage to property, for allegedly destroying a Christmas wreath. The charges relate to an incident around 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 7, 2024, as the Journal-World reported.

“The elevator opened and I saw a man in blue pants with no shirt,” testified Officer Mallory Reynolds on Thursday at Smith’s preliminary hearing.

She said she had been called to an apartment building at 2424 Melrose Lane for a report of an “older white gentleman with his pants around his ankles.” She said she was interviewing residents in the lobby when someone called for the elevator; that’s when she first saw Smith.

Reynolds said the man who called the elevator tried to enter it, but Smith aggressively lunged at the man, and Reynolds intervened. She said Smith reacted by grabbing her in a bear hug. She said she struggled to get Smith’s hands off of her hips as he held her when he started hitting her.

“He struck me with a closed right fist in the nose at least six times,” Reynolds said.

Smith’s defense attorney, John Kerns, asked Reynolds if she had remembered specifically how many times the man had struck her or if she had reviewed her body camera footage from that day and counted the punches.

photo by: Lawrence Police Department

Lawrence Police Officer Mallory Reynolds in December 2023.

Reynolds said she did watch the body camera footage but that she had determined how many times she had been punched by the number of bruises on her face and nose while in the hospital. She said she could remember only portions of the incident.

“I can recall sections. My body’s response to the trauma, I guess,” Reynolds said.

She said the man who had tried to take the elevator then intervened, and he and Reynolds together took Smith to the ground. Another officer arrived 30 to 45 seconds later and Smith was arrested.

Reynolds said she had to have reconstructive surgery on her face and nose after the incident and missed several days of work.

Smith is alleged to have terrorized another woman in the moments before the attack on Reynolds. The woman who had called for Reynolds’ help testified that she contacted police after Smith had threatened to kill her.

“He was wearing white boxers and he ran at me,” the woman said.

She said she lived on the second floor of the apartment complex and had heard loud noises and yelling all night. She opened her door that morning to see Smith standing in the hallway. She said he turned and told her, “I’m going to kill you, you fat bitch” and started running at her.

“I shut the door as he was approaching me. Then I could hear him on the other side of my door,” the woman said.

She said Smith destroyed the Christmas wreath that was hanging on the door.

“I was scared to death,” the woman said.

Since the incident, she said, she wants to move and has been in constant fear for her life.

“Every time I come out of my apartment, I look for him,” the woman said.

After the women’s testimony, Judge Stacey Donovan ordered Smith to stand trial on the charges. Kerns then asked to set a trial date far in the future so he could get Smith an evaluation that would support a defense of mental deficiency or disease.

According to court records, Smith spent six months at Osawatomie State Hospital while in custody to have his mental competency restored. He was deemed competent on March 26.

Donovan asked Kerns if Smith would waive his speedy trial rights to secure the mental evaluation, but when Kerns conferred with Smith about it, Smith rejected the idea and demanded a speedy trial.

Donovan asked Smith if he understood what his attorney was trying to do in getting the evaluation.

“I don’t understand any of this. I didn’t even see a police officer that day,” Smith said.

Donovan then scheduled Smith for trial on July 16.

Smith could be heard saying as he walked out of the courtroom, “I don’t even own any white boxers.”

Smith is in custody at the Douglas County Jail on a $40,000 bond.