Vikings: Drug bust jeopardizes Smith's game status

Vikings safety Dwight Smith faces significant NFL discipline after admitting that he smoked marijuana Thursday night in downtown Minneapolis.

Minneapolis police cited Smith for possession of marijuana and obstructing traffic, both petty misdemeanors, at the intersection of 2nd Avenue S. and 4th Street S.

The marijuana charge is punishable by a $125 fine for a first offense, but it also makes him subject to the NFL's personal conduct policy as well as any immediate discipline the Vikings might levy.

Coach Brad Childress would not say whether Smith -- a member of the Vikings' veteran leadership group -- would play in Monday night's NFC North showdown against the Chicago Bears.

In 2006, Childress suspended him for one game after Smith was cited for indecent conduct with a woman in a downtown stairwell. He has also benched Smith for the opening series of two other games for disciplinary reasons.

"The allegations are under investigation," Childress said, "and I'll have further comment after more information comes to light."

Smith was among a group of players Thursday night who attended a fundraiser hosted by linebacker E.J. Henderson at Bellanotte restaurant. According to the police report, an officer saw Smith's car impeding traffic in front of Sheik's Palace Royale nightclub at 10:11 p.m. The officer approached the car and "smelled the strong odor of marijuana," according to the report.

The report also said Smith "admitted he just got done smoking some marijuana."

The report noted that defensive lineman Pat Williams was at the scene as well, but Williams was not cited. Minneapolis police spokesman Sgt. Jesse Garcia said Williams played the role of peacemaker and identified himself as a reserve in U.S. Marshal Service of Louisiana.

Smith practiced as usual Friday at Winter Park but was not available to comment once the incident became public.

The incident ended the Vikings' otherwise-pristine season of off-field behavior and produced an unwanted distraction as they push for the playoffs. Childress has spoken often about creating a "culture of accountability" since taking the job in January 2006, and the team has not had a player arrested since the start of training camp.

In an interview Friday night, Childress said the team has been "proactive" about educating players on the dangers of downtown social life. Childress said he personally walked the beat with Minneapolis police officers during the offseason, attended a squad meeting and left his cellular phone number on a bulletin board to promote his accessibility with police.

Childress also visited individual nightclubs, including Spin -- where cornerback Cedric Griffin was arrested in April. Childress said he used those visits to develop a detailed video and educational program for players during offseason workouts.

"I don't have my head in the sand," Childress said. "We are always trying to be proactive about these things. I stood up there and told them, 'Hey fellas, I've spent time down there.' Here are some of the things that go on."

Smith, however, had a long history of incidents even before signing with the Vikings in July 2006. Among them:

• While playing for Tampa Bay in 2003, he pleaded guilty to pulling a gun on a motorist. He was fined $225, given a year's probation, assigned anger management classes and performed 25 hours of community service.

• In 2005, he was arrested after being in a vehicle in which someone pointed a gun at a group of fans outside a fast-food restaurant in Tampa. Officials did not press charges because they could not determine whether Smith was the one who pulled the gun.