The man charged with shooting a Columbus County deputy Wednesday is being held under no bond.
William Robert “Robbie” Smith Jr., 48, was arrested after an 11-hour manhunt off Shackletown Road in Delco. He faces charges of attempted first degree murder, assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and probation violation.
Smith appeared virtually in court this morning (Thursday) and was ordered held without bond. He requested a court-appointed attorney.
Smith allegedly sped away from a traffic stop just before 8 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office and crashed while fleeing. When Deputy Joseph Byrd made contact with Smith, a physical altercation ensued. Byrd was shot through the forearm with a Glock 19 handgun, according to warrants, and Smith escaped on foot.
Byrd drove himself to meet another deputy, who transferred the injured deputy to another vehicle. They later met an ambulance which took Byrd to New Hanover Novant, escorted by multiple officers from other agencies.
Local, state and federal agencies from across the area converged on Delco-Prosper within hours, saturating the area and blocking every road into and out of the community. Smith was found roughly two miles from the scene of the shooting and taken into custody by personnel from the State Bureau of Investigation. He was processed into the county detention center after midnight, having been treated at an area hospital.
Warrants show a Marlin Model 60 .22 rifle was recovered during the arrest.
Byrd is a veteran deputy with the sheriff’s office, having worn a badge since 1997. He is still in stable condition in New Hanover, having undergone one surgery Wednesday.
