Maryland Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison on Charges in Domestic Dispute That Led to Police Pursuit

            WASHINGTON – Anthony Smith, 29, of Oxon Hill, Md., has been sentenced to five years in prison on multiple charges stemming from a violent domestic dispute that led to a high-speed police pursuit on the 2017 Labor Day weekend that continued along busy streets of the District of Columbia, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.

            Smith was found guilty by a jury in May 2018 of seven counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, three counts of destruction of property, and one count each of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle during a crime of violence, felony threats, carrying a dangerous weapon, reckless driving, leaving the scene of a collision, and fleeing police. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced on Sept. 17, 2018, by the Honorable Milton C. Lee. In sentencing Smith, the judge suspended an additional three years of prison time on the condition that he successfully complete three years of supervised release and probation after he serves the five years of incarceration.  

            According to the government’s evidence, Smith and the victim were involved in a romantic relationship that ended in August 2017. They have a child in common. Between Aug. 30, 2017 and Sept. 1, 2017, Smith’s conduct led the victim to obtain a temporary protection order against him. Despite that order, on Sept. 1, 2017, Smith came to the victim’s home, kicked in the door, took her car keys, and stole her car, a Dodge Avenger.

            Two days later, on the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, the victim, desperate to get back her car, agreed to meet Smith at a restaurant in the 1600 block of North Capitol Street NW. When she got there, Smith refused to give her car back. He started to take off with the car, and the victim jumped into the back seat because she did not want to lose it again. While in the car, Smith tried to stab the victim with a knife, while telling her, “Our daughter isn’t going to have a mother anymore.”  She was able to break the knife and hop out of the moving car at New Jersey Avenue and K Street NW.  There, she used a bystander’s phone to call 911.

            One hour later, at approximately 3 p.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) located Smith and the car at 5^th Street and Rhode Island Avenue NE.  When they tried to conduct a traffic stop, Smith took off. An MPD watch commander authorized a pursuit that continued for approximately 3.4 miles.  During the chase, Smith caused four collisions, including striking a police officer who was involved in the pursuit.  Smith was arrested at about 3:15 p.m. at 12^th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW after he attempted an illegal turn into oncoming traffic and collided with a car carrying a woman and her two children.  Smith has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who responded to and investigated the case from MPD’s First and Fifth Districts. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Marcus-Kurn, Mark O’Brien, Chrisellen Kolb, and Suzanne Curt; Paralegal Specialists Brenda Williams and D’Yvonne Key; Litigation Technology Specialists Anisha Bhatia, Ron Royal, and Paul Howell, and Victim/Witness Advocate Lu Lan.

            Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bianca Forde and Ryan Creighton, who investigated and prosecuted the case.