Stone County, AR. – 63-year-old William Smith was arrested on July 13, 2024, after allegedly firing shots and threatening to kill three individuals. Smith is now facing charges of three counts of aggravated assault, a felony count charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and a misdemeanor charge of violation of an order of protection. He was also given additional penalty charges for being a habitual offender. He is being held on a bond totaling $100,000.
According to the probable cause affidavit, a Baxter County Sheriff’s Office deputy was dispatched to talk to an individual after receiving a call about a man threatening to shoot everyone in a residence in Big Flat. Upon arriving at the scene, deputies talked to the victim who told him that Smith was intoxicated, and when she went outside he pointed a handgun at the victim’s head and then fired shots at the ground. She then told the deputies that Smith was still threatening people inside the residence. Deputies from Baxter County and Searcy County, an Arkansas State Police Trooper, and a park ranger all went to arrest Smith.
When they converged, Smith came out and was apprehended. During an interview with the house’s occupants, they found that one of the occupants had a protection order against Smith. During an argument between the occupant and Smith earlier that day, Smith had threatened the person saying he would “put a peephole” in her while waving the gun around.
While en route to the jail, Smith told deputies that he was going to kill everyone in the jail. Smith had three felony convictions in multiple states.
