Charges have not been dropped against Williams Robert “Robbie” Smith Jr. for the shooting of a deputy Wednesday.
An anonymous report by the Columbus County Ledger on social media Saturday claimed that attempted murder and assault on a law enforcement officer charges were dropped against Smith.
“That is categorically untrue,” said Sheriff Bill Rogers.
The reports caused a firestorm of comments and telephone calls, Rogers said.“The two charges were not dismissed, dropped, or withdrawn. They were temporarily removed from the record as part of a clerical correction and were subsequently reissued. The charges remain part of the case,” he said in a statement.
Duplicate warrants existed for a brief period of time before the sheriff’s office handed off the case to the District Attorney and State Bureau of Investigation, Rogers and Clerk of Court Jess Hill explained. Rogers said he expects the DA’s office to present the charges against Smith to a grand jury for potential indictment.
Columbuscountynews.com used publicly available online records Saturday to check of state court documents, and confirmed that the charges had not been dropped against Smith.
Columbuscountynews.com used publicly available online records Saturday to check of state court documents, and confirmed that the charges had not been dropped against Smith.
Smith is alleged to have crashed a truck while fleeing a traffic stop by Deputy Joe Byrd Wednesday morning in Delco. When Byrd tried to take Smith into custody, Smith allegedly shot Byrd through the arm.
The deputy drove himself out of the scene and met another deputy, who then transferred him to an ambulance. ADR Fire-Rescue transported Byrd to New Hanover Novant, where he is undergoing treatment. Byrd is a 29 year veteran of the sheriff’s office.
More than 100 officers, troopers, deputies and agents from local, state and federal agencies hunted Smith throughout the densely wooded areas around Shackletown Road for 11 hours before SBI agents took Smith into custody.
Rogers said he took the unusual step of issuing the social media statement Sunday to set the record straight.
“I am addressing this publicly because accuracy matters. This is not simply a matter of a headline or a court-record entry being misunderstood. This case involves one of my deputies who was shot in the line of duty, their family, and the men and women of the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office who have been directly affected by what occurred.
“One of my deputies was shot, Rogers emphasized. “He remains hospitalized. He has undergone multiple surgeries and other medical procedures. His family has lived through the consequences of that day and continues to do so. The effects of that day will impact them for the rest of their lives.
“Columbus County Sheriff’s Office has lived through it with them.
“When inaccurate information is reported or repeated, it can create a false impression about the status of the case and the charges the suspect continues to face.
“I will not allow misinformation to become the public record simply because it has been repeated. I have a responsibility to our community, my deputies, and their families to correct inaccurate information when it is shared repeatedly.
“I encourage our community to seek accurate, verified information and not rely on social media posts or reports that do not tell the complete story.”
The Ledger could not be reached for comment.
