UPDATE: Monday, April 9, 2018
Spokane County Sheriff's Deputies captured a Geiger work crew inmate who walked away from his assigned work detail at the end of last month.
Last Wednesday night, while following up on tips that escaped inmate Keith A. Smith was in a mobile home park in the Mead area, a deputy noticed a black car with the trunk open. As he was checking on the car, the deputy saw Smith's girlfriend exit the car and walked back toward the trunk. While talking with the woman, another deputy arrived to assist.
Deputies saw Smith sitting in the passenger seat and instead of following commands to get out of the car, deputies say Smith locked the door, moved into the driver's seat, and drove off.
"Smith grazed a pole and drove over some larger rocks as he recklessly fled the parking lot and out of sight," Deputy Mark Gregory said in a release.
While searching the area for the car, deputies found fresh tire tracks leading into another mobile home park. The car was found unoccupied and crashed into a porch of a mobile home.
A perimeter was set up and Smith was eventually found in a fenced storage area.
Smith, followed by the owner of the facility, who was holding a club, yelled he was "done running" and went down to the ground.
After he was safely taken into custody, Smith was provided medical attention for a cut he received while climbing the fence. He was transported and booked into the Spokane County Jail for his original misdemeanor charge in addition to new misdemeanor charges of Escape 3rd Degree, Obstructing Law Enforcement and Hit and Run-Property Damage.
The facility/property owner, who aided in the capture of Smith, declined to pursue trespassing charges.
Previous Coverage from March 29, 2018
Thursday afternoon, Geiger Work Crew Inmate 41-year-old Keith A. Smith walked away from his assigned work detail near Market and Hawthorne. Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputies searched the area in addition to his last known address but were unable to locate him.
Smith was being held on a misdemeanor warrant stemming from a 2015 case where he failed to appear.
Keith A. Smith is described as a white male, 6’00”, approximately 200 lbs, short/balding brown hair with hazel eyes. He was last seen wearing a maroon shirt and blue pants.
If you have seen Keith A. Smith or now of his location, you are asked to call Crime Check at 509-456-2233, reference #10041154.
(story: KHQ.com; photo: Spokane County Sheriff's Office)