In Winter Garden, Florida, a man was arrested after he went on a rampage and caused roughly $2,000 in damage to a smoke shop. The incident began on January 9, 2023, at around 7:39 PM when Malik Smith (27) walked into a Mobil gas station and headed to the 592 Smoke Shop inside.
Florida Man Arrested After Going On $2,000 Rampage in Smoke Shop, Attacking Cops, and Dancing in Traffic
He jumped onto the counter of the smoke shop and began breaking displays which authorities say totaled roughly $2,000 in damages. Smith would harass customers in the gas station before leaving. The man returned while police officers were gathering statements and tried to enter the store again. Officers managed to run him off temporarily.
Smith would speed through the parking lot, aiming at two officers with his vehicle. One officer managed to get out of the way while the other was hit by the mirror of the car. The suspect managed to drive off and wouldn’t be seen again until another officer responding to a separate call spotted Smith.
According to Officer Joshua Rios, the suspect was dancing on top of a black Nissan Altima which was stopped in an intersection. This encounter was just 30 minutes following the assault at the Mobil gas station. Rios managed to good Smith to a 7-Eleven but verbal attempts to get him to comply were unsuccessful.
Smith walked into the store against commands and Rios called for backup. When the suspect returned, he was taken down by Rios and a K-9 officer. While being arrested, Smith bit the officer on the thigh and the K-9 was called in. The suspect was as to escape the dog and made a run for his car. Another officer hit Smith with pepper spray which failed to stop him.
The 27-year-old was eventually subdued after a taser shot brought him down and four officers and the K-9 made the arrest. Malik Smith was arrested and faces charges of resisting an officer with violence, two counts of resisting an officer without violence, failing to obey law enforcement officers, battery on an officer, aggravated battery on an officer, and criminal mischief of $1,000 or more.
Smith remains in the Orange County Jail.
