Columbia man charged after police chase ends in crash
A Columbia man was arrested and charged Thursday after he led police on a chase, crashed his vehicle and punched a police officer in the face, according to court documents.
The chase began Wednesday night at 9:30 p.m. when Damien Smith, who was the driver of the vehicle, took off at high speeds, court documents said. Smith did not pull over for police.
Smith’s girlfriend and her two children were also in the car at the time of the chase. The victim told police Smith forced her and the children into the car and said he would “make her” if she did not follow the orders.
Smith eventually stopped in Paris Court, and an officer approached Smith’s vehicle and asked Smith to get out of the car. Smith then put the vehicle back into drive and tried to flee the scene again. However, Smith crashed the vehicle when he tried to exit the dead end, court documents said.
Smith did not follow the officer’s orders, and when an officer tried to use a taser on Smith, Smith allegedly punched the officer in the head and nose, court documents said.
Officers were eventually able to detain Smith using pepper spray. They said he appeared to be intoxicated at the time of the chase.
Smith was charged with second-degree kidnapping, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, resisting arrest and third-degree assault. He’s being held in the Boone County Jail on a $50,000 bond.
