On July 4 at 7:19 a.m., patrol officers responded to a residence in the 9400 block of Super Street in Waldorf after receiving a call for unknown trouble, domestic-related, involving a male suspect and female caller. The female indicated she was hiding from the male who threatened her. As officers responded, police dispatchers obtained the suspect’s name, Kent Leroy Smith, Jr., age 34, and relayed that Smith had three active warrants, including one for first-degree assault. When officers arrived, Smith fled in a car. Officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but Smith accelerated at a high rate of speed toward a dead-end street where he crashed the vehicle into a creek. Smith jumped out of the car and fled on foot through a neighborhood. Officers recovered a loaded handgun inside the car in which Smith fled; Smith is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior felony convictions.
Officers canvassed the area and received a call from a witness who reported seeing Smith in a backyard. When officers located Smith and attempted to take him into custody, he resisted arrest and struck two officers. During the struggle, Smith and the officers fell to the ground before Smith was eventually subdued and taken into custody. He was transported to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries and later taken to the Charles County Detention Center. The officers also sustained minor injuries.
Through further investigation, officers learned that while Smith was eluding arrest, he attempted to break into two nearby homes and stole an electric bicycle, which was recovered. Smith was charged with aggravated assault, assault, firearm violations, burglary, theft, and other related charges. He was also served with the four outstanding arrest warrants, charging him in connection with a prior felony assault case, and with probation violations related to felony assault, firearm use during a crime of violence, and burglary cases. Smith is currently being held without bond. The investigation is ongoing.
Kent Leroy Smith
CONTACT: Diane Richardson
Media Relations Office
301-609-6557 or 240-682-1658
The CCSO was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) in 2001 and has since earned the highest rating of Excellence. Established in 1658, the CCSO is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States. For more information, visit www.ccso.us.
Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online at www.charlescountycrimesolvers.com or by using the P3Intel mobile app, which can be found in the Android Store and Apple Store by searching P3tips. For more information about the P3 program, click on this link: www.p3intel.com.