Friday, February 12, 2021

Sallisaw Man Injures Deputy in Flight from Courthouse

Joshua David Smith

A Sallisaw man was arrested Feb. 2 and charged with assault and battery on a police officer, a felony, records show.

Joshua David Smith, 32, faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $500 on the felony charge. He was also charged with resisting an officer, a misdemeanor. He was released on $7,000 bond and his next court appearance is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Feb. 17.

According to a report, on Feb. 2, a Sequoyah County sheriff’s deputy was observing cameras in the courthouse when he spotted what appeared to be a large commotion and saw court employees following someone outside. The deputy got in his patrol vehicle and once at the front of the courthouse, several employees told him that Smith had just fled the building after a warrant was attempted to be served on him.

The deputy began a search for Smith, who was seen coming out of the hardware store on Cherokee Avenue. The deputy activated his emergency lights and the suspect ran into the hardware store’s lumber yard. A Taser had no effect on Smith, who jumped over a barbed-wire fence and continued to head west on Cherokee.

The deputy then pulled into the parking lot at a doctor’s office, where a citizen advised that the suspect had entered a red storage building in the lot. As he attempted to enter the building, the deputy felt as if someone was standing behind the door holding it closed. When he forced his way into the building, the deputy found himself face-to-face with Smith.

Smith was given several commands to get on the ground, which he ignored. He was then “escorted” to the ground while resisting arrest and finally placed in hand restraints and transported to the Sequoyah County Jail.

Once at the jail, it was learned that Smith had assaulted another deputy when he ran from the courthouse. That deputy said he told Smith to move away from the courthouse exit and that he was under arrest for the warrant but Smith shoved him into the metal detector. The deputy said he hit the machine with his left arm and fell to the ground.


Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer


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