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A disturbing police bodycam video captures the moment a Florida man with a violent criminal past was shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy. The officer clung to the fleeing car as the suspect attempted a frantic escape.
On Saturday around 5:30 p.m., Pasco County Sheriff’s Deputy Christopher Howell approached 40-year-old Paul Smith’s parked vehicle at a 7-Eleven in Hudson, about 40 miles north of Tampa, Florida. Smith, known for his violent history, was reportedly connected to a case involving battery by strangulation.
In the footage from the police bodycam, Smith appears confused when asked to exit his vehicle by the deputy.
Smith asked the officer, “What’s going on? What’s the problem?”
Smith frantically used his car keys to start the vehicle and attempt a quick getaway.
Despite Deputy Howell’s repeated commands for Smith to exit the car, the suspect persisted in trying to flee. In a struggle, Howell tried to pull Smith out of the vehicle without success.
Smith managed to start the car and drove off with Howell hanging from the open door.
Despite being shocked multiple times with a stun gun by Howell, Smith continued his attempts to escape, with screeching tires and roaring engine captured in the bodycam footage.
Howell warned the suspect, “You’re going to get f***ing shot!”
Howell gave Smith five warnings that he would be shot if he did not halt the vehicle. Despite the repeated warnings, Smith did not stop, leading Howell to shoot him in the back. A video showed Smith losing consciousness and collapsing into the passenger seat. The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office reported that Howell managed to gain control of the vehicle and attempted first aid on Smith, but he tragically passed away from his gunshot wound.
The Tampa Bay Times reported, “Pasco records show several criminal convictions against a Paul Smith in that county, including battery and drug charges. Smith was convicted in 2019 of fleeing law enforcement by car, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, and hit-and-run, and served three years in state prison.”
The shooting is being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to ascertain its justification. Pasco County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Col. Jeff Harrington justified Howell’s actions as essential.
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