Mountain Grove man with warrant flees from MSHP MSgt. after stop for speeding

Jared T. Smith, 31, of Mountain Grove, has been charged with the class E felony of resisting arrest for a felony. A warrant with a $2,500 cash only bond has been issued for his arrest. 

According to the probable cause statement prepared by Missouri State Highway Patrol MSgt. C. A. Hogue, at 10:32 p.m. Feb. 14 the officer stopped a silver Honda Civic in Ozark County on Highway 5, north of A Highway, for driving 70 miles an hour in a 60 mile per hour zone. 

“I made contact with the driver, Jared T. Smith. Mr. Smith advised he did not have his driver’s license on him, and he admitted to not wearing his seat belt. I asked Mr. Smith about the loud exhaust on his car, and he advised he had recently gotten in trouble for this. A routine computer check revealed Mr. Smith’s driver’s license was revoked due to a point revocation... dated December 20, 2022,” the report says. “Mr. Smith had a previous driving while revoked/suspended conviction on November 15, 2022, in Texas County. The computer check also revealed Mr. Smith had a felony Wright County warrant... dated January 1, 2023, for possession of a controlled substance [methamphetamine]. There was no bond for the warrant.”

Hogue contacted the MSHP Troop G headquarters and confirmed that the warrant was still active. When a dispatcher there confirmed it was active, Hogue returned to the vehicle and asked Smith to roll up his sleeves and place his hands behind his back so he could be arrested. 

“Mr. Smith rolled up his coat sleeves, and then he took off running to the southwest of the traffic stop. I ordered Mr. Smith to stop, and I chased after him. I advised Troop G Radio I was in foot pursuit southwest of the traffic stop. I ordered Mr. Smith to stop and to radio Ozark County [Sheriff’s Department] for backup.”

Smith ran to a field that borders Highway 5 and jumped a barbed wire fence and continued running west into the field. Hogue chased Smith through the field yelling for him to stop several times. Smith came to another barbed wire fence and went over the fence, running into a wooded area. 

“I had chased Mr. Smith approximately a half mile. I overtook Mr. Smith at this point, and I ordered him to stop to get onto the ground. Mr. Smith continued running, and I pushed him to the ground, and I ordered him to put his hands behind his back,” Hogue’s report says. 

Both the officer and the suspect were winded and breathing hard at this point. Smith reportedly faced the officer and started to get back up, presumably to flee again.

Hogue sprayed him with pepper spray. After being sprayed, Smith reportedly stood up again, took off his coat and attempted to run away. 

“I pushed Mr. Smith back down on the ground, and I ordered him again to put his hands behind his back. Mr. Smith refused to comply, and he started getting up again. At this time, I struck Mr. Smith with my flashlight one time on his right arm and one time on his right leg,” Hogue wrote. 

The officer ordered Smith to lay on the ground and put his hands behind his back. Hogue told Smith that if he didn’t, he would strike him again. At that point, Smith placed his hands behind his back. The officer placed him in restraints, checked the handcuffs for tightness and double locked them. He then walked Smith back toward his patrol car. 

Ozark County Deputies Jeffrey Lane and Josh Sherman arrived on scene at that time and assisted Hogue by walking Smith back to their patrol vehicles. The deputies then gave both Smith and Hogue a bottle of water to drink.

Sherman transported Smith to the Ozark County Jail where Ozark County Ambulance personnel checked him out and helped him with the decontamination procedures for the pepper spray. He was fingerprinted and observed by the officers for two hours. A local company towed the vehicle from the scene of the incident. 

Hogue issued Smith the citations and told him he was to appear in Ozark County court on April 25.