Deray Smithen. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ST. THOMAS – A day after police arrested Deray Smithen at the Cyril E. King airport as he reportedly tried to flee the territory, a district magistrate transferred the case to St. Croix.
On Wednesday morning, Deray Smithen appeared before Magistrate Paula Norkaitis, charged with attempted murder, two counts of first-degree assault with intent to commit murder, two counts of first-degree assault with intent to kill, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, illegal discharge of a firearm, six counts of possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of ammunition, first-degree reckless endangerment, and disturbance of the peace by threats.
Documents submitted to the court lay out the timeline of events as reported by police. On Monday just after 1:30 am, the police ShotSpotter notification system, alongside several calls from citizens, alerted police to shots being fired at Frontline Bar & Restaurant, resulting in injuries.
Upon arrival, officers found that the victims had already been taken to hospital. Police arrived at the Juan F. Louis hospital around 2:00 a.m. to find the injured parties undergoing medical treatment, in too much pain to speak. Officers returned on Monday evening and spoke to one man who said that he had been at the nightclub having a good time when he saw Smithen, who he knows, approaching. The man said that Smithen first verbally accosted him, and then the confrontation turned physical.
The two men were trading punches when Smithen pulled a gun from his waistband, the injured man said. He stepped back, and heard a loud noise. The man said he ran towards his vehicle, feeling a burning sensation in his chest. As he ran, he heard three more shots. He made it to the front seat of his vehicle and his child’s mother drove him to the hospital. The man, who doctors say sustained gunshot wounds to his left chest, left buttocks and leg, and right thigh and wrist, told police that he was in fear of his life. Doctors reported that he is now suffering with a collapsed lung, and requires a chest tube. The man was presented with a photo array containing one known image of Smithen, and identified him as the shooter among several photographs of men with similar facial features.
The other injured party is a woman who was at the bar when she noticed the two men fighting. She told police that when the shooting started, she ran for cover but soon felt a burning sensation in her right arm. When she saw blood, she realized that she had been shot, although she did not see who had fired the gun. She was then taken to the hospital by a relative.
Police also spoke to the mother of the man’s child, who said that she had tried to break up the fight by hitting Smithen on the back when the two men were exchanging blows. She thought that her efforts had been successful when the fight stopped, but then heard the gunfire. She followed her child’s father as he ran to the car, and was then able to drive him to the hospital for medical attention.
Surveillance video at the nightclub captured the scene as it unfolded, exactly as the three witnesses described. After the first muzzle flash, police saw Smithen running after his fleeing victim, still firing.
At first, a police search for Smithen ended in failure. However, after an alert was placed into the National Crime Information Center and on Tuesday, officers received information that Smithen had left St. Croix and was attempting to fly out of the territory from the airport on St. Thomas. He was detained at the airport and charged.
In court on Wednesday, the court found probable cause to uphold all the charges against him. Bail was set at $150,000, payable in full with cash only. Further court appearances will be scheduled by the Superior Court on St. Croix.
Advertisements
