#110 - When You Go To War, Become SWAT, and Walk Away From Corruption: What Happens When a Good Cop Tells the Truth w/Gabe Smith

#110 - When You Go To War, Become SWAT, and Walk Away From Corruption: What Happens When a Good Cop Tells the Truth w/Gabe Smith

From The Wild Chaos Podcast by Bam - The Wild Chaos

May 4, 2026 · 4h 24m · Season 1 · Episode 110

About this episode

Gabe Smith shares his harrowing experiences as a veteran and law enforcement officer, discussing the challenges within the police system and the importance of mental health support for first responders.

He survived war. He survived addiction. But his own department almost broke him. Episode 110 of The Wild Chaos Podcast features Gabe Smith — US Army veteran, former SWAT officer, and police sniper — sharing one of the most raw and honest law enforcement stories we’ve had on the show. To watch in studio, visit: https://youtu.be/Ck2dWJu4_IA From deployments in Iraq to battling opioid addiction and surviving a near-fatal overdose, Gabe rebuilt his life and returned to service, earning a badge with the Reno Police Department and eventually joining SWAT. But the story doesn’t end there. We dive into the realities of modern policing: • Homeless crisis and compassion fatigue • Use-of-force and real-world decision making • Importance of defensive tactics and jiu jitsu • Internal department politics and leadership failures • Allegations of falsified records and retaliation • Why good officers walk away Gabe shares what pushed him out of law enforcement — not the streets, but the system behind the badge. We also talk about recovery and what comes next: • PTSD and first responder mental health • Suicide in law enforcement • Psychedelic therapy (DMT, psilocybin, MDMA) • Faith, healing, and…

People in this episode

Host: Bam - The Wild Chaos

Guest: Gabe Smith

Topics covered

  • law enforcement
  • mental health
  • addiction recovery
  • policing challenges
  • first responder support
  • PTSD
  • internal politics

Keywords

  • Gabe Smith
  • law enforcement
  • SWAT
  • PTSD
  • opioid addiction
  • mental health
  • first responders
  • policing
  • psychedelic therapy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Reno Police Department, Precision Resilience

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