Parolee tries to grab cop’s gun
Staff writer
A Hutchinson man was arrested early Sunday in Hillsboro after he called the sheriff’s department to request that a deputy be sent to him, and then became highly combative with two deputies who met him.
Brandon S. Smith, 30, Hutchinson, is on parole. The sheriff’s office is waiting for the Department of Corrections, notified Sunday of the incident, to pick him up, Sheriff Jeff Soyez said.
At 4:21 a.m. Sunday, Smith told dispatchers he wanted to meet with deputies.
When deputies met him at US-56 and Ash St. in Hillsboro, they quickly requested urgent assistance from two Hillsboro officers after Smith tried to take deputy Matt Regier's gun out of its holder and escape.
Regier chased Smith down, but Smith pushed Regier and drove his shoulder into the deputy in his attempt to escape.
Regier called for Hillsboro ambulance attendants to evaluate Smith because he was under the influence of drugs.
He urgently requested a prisoner transport van to take Smith to jail after officers were unable to get him confined in a patrol car.
Soyez, Undersheriff Larry Starkey, deputy Aaron Christner, Hillsboro assistant chief Randy Brazil, and Hillsboro officer Peyton Heidebrecht assisted in restraining Smith and securing him in the van.
He was arrested on suspicion of driving under influence of alcohol or drugs, aggravated assault of an officer with a deadly weapon, aggravated escape from custody with use of violence, battery on an officer, and conspiracy to damage property.
It took until about 10 hours to get Smith formally booked into jail, Soyez said.
“He was very, very unsafe to handle,” Soyez said. “He was extremely violent.”
He was booked into jail at 2:28 p.m. Sunday with a presumptive bond of $10,000. A judge reduced his bond Monday to $5,000.
A booking photo was not available on the county jail roster until Monday evening.
From 2011 to 2018, Smith has been charged with driving under the influence in Pratt County and in McPherson County with battery of an officer, interference with law enforcement, conspiracy to commit burglary, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, aggravated escape from custody, failure to report an accident, failure to wear a seat belt, five counts of burglary, seven counts of theft, making a criminal threat, possession of opiates and drug paraphernalia, four counts of criminal damage to property, two counts of criminal trespass, and driving while his license was canceled.
He has been a registered violent offender since 2018.
He was sent to prison in 2016 for theft, aggravated escape from custody, aggravated battery, possession of opiates, burglary, and probation violation.
According to Kansas Department of Corrections, he was paroled last month.
Soyez said Smith also was on parole from Colorado.
After Smith’s arrest, Brazil gave a ride to Smith’s grandparents, who live in McPherson, to get gas so they could reclaim their car, which they had lent to Smith.
Soyez said Smith never did say why he had called for deputies Sunday morning.