KeShone Quantarious Smith, accused in the shooting death of Pine Bluff Detective Kevin Collins, attempted to assert his innocence in court Wednesday morning as District Judge Kim Bridgforth cautioned him about making any statements without attorney representation.
Smith was in court via Zoom video-conference link from the Jefferson County jail where he has been held since being turned over by Arkansas State Police investigators Monday evening, about eight hours after the shooting that claimed 35-year-old Collins' life and left another officer, Lt. Ralph Isaac, 42, wounded. A third officer, Kelsey Collins, 28, narrowly escaped injury when a gunshot directed at him was stopped by his department-issued protective vest.
"There were three witnesses," Smith declared after Bridgforth warned him any statement he might make could further incriminate him. "All you have to do is subpoena them to court. They saw the whole thing. Three witnesses."
The brief affidavit, entered by Arkansas State Police Special Agent Randy Rawls, made no mention of witnesses at the scene and no witness statements were referenced in the affidavit.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jill Reed told Bridgforth the state was requesting that Smith be held without bail on probable cause of capital murder while formal charges are prepared.
"On Oct. 5, 2020, officers of the Pine Bluff Police Department traveled to the Econo Lodge Motel in an attempt to locate and arrest Mr. KeShone Smith, on active warrants, active felony warrants," Reed read from the affidavit. "During the course of the arrest, KeShone Smith fired his weapon at the officers. Officers then returned fire.
"Two officers were struck by gunfire in the incident," Reed continued. "One was treated for non-life threatening injuries at the local hospital. Officer Kevin Collins was struck by gunfire and died later at the local hospital."
Reed then reiterated that the prosecutor's office was asking Bridgforth to find probable cause for capital murder and to hold Smith without bail.
"Was Mr. Smith responsible for firing on this officer?" Bridgforth asked.
"Yes, Your Honor, the probable cause stated he fired his weapon at the officers at that time and they returned fire."
Bridgforth, addressing Smith, told him that he would be held without bail on probable cause of capital murder and ordered him to return to court Nov. 18, 2020 at 9 a.m. for a first appearance.
"Do you plan to hire an attorney to represent you?" Bridgforth asked Smith.
"I do plan to hire an attorney," he responded, then asked, "Can I address the court?"
"Sorry?" Bridgforth said. "You can say whatever you want to say, however, what I want to tell you is that you don't have your lawyer here with you right now."
"I understand," Smith said.
"There's a member of the prosecutor's officer here right now so I don't want you to say anything accidentally that will hurt yourself," Bridgforth told him.
"I've got one thing, can I say it?" Smith asked, his voice muffled over the video/audio link.
"Sorry?" Bridgforth asked.
"I've got one thing to say," Smith repeated. "Can I say it?"
"OK, just be advised whatever you say can be held against you," Bridgforth admonished him again.
After Smith made his statement about witnesses, Bridgforth told him that could be addressed later.
"Your lawyer can help you with that," she said. "OK? And you said that you have a lawyer that you intend to use?"
"I'm going to hire a paid attorney," Smith said.
At the time of his arrest, Smith had been eluding law enforcement authorities for nearly three months after being named as a suspect in a homicide in Georgia along with two other Arkansas men. On June 15, police in Conyers, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta, were called to an apartment complex where they found a Conyers man, 23-year-old Money White Jr., shot to death.
Two Conyers men were arrested four days later on charges related to White's killing. Because Smith, along with two other men from Arkansas, Desmond Marks, 21, of Pine Bluff, and Carlos Penore Davis Jr., 20, was suspected of involvement in White's death and of fleeing back to Arkansas, Conyers police notified Arkansas law enforcement authorities, including the Pine Bluff Police Department, with the information.
Capt. Kim Lucas, with the Conyers Police Department Criminal Investigation Division, said police believed Smith had returned to Pine Bluff because of family connections here.
Marks, according to Lucas, was arrested in August and was returned to Conyers Sept. 26. Little Rock police said that Davis was arrested by a team of FBI agents, U.S. Marshals, and Little Rock police at the Otter Creek Apartments in Little Rock Sept. 1 and is being held in the Pulaski County jail where he is awaiting extradition to Georgia.
Lucas said police there believe White's death was the result of a drug deal that escalated into robbery and murder. She said in addition to murder charges, Marks, Davis and Smith were charged with two counts under the Georgia Criminal Street Act, which provides for enhanced penalties under Georgia law.
Smith is reportedly affiliated with the EBK/MG street gang that is believed to be involved in a number of homicides and shootings in the area. Lucas said that police there have heard of the gang but she could not say with certainty what presence, if any, EBK has in Georgia and said little is known there about the gang.
"That was something we had to do some research on and rely on Arkansas for information," she said. "Certainly we have our own set of gang problems here but EBK was new to us."
Despite the charges Smith is facing in Georgia, Lucas said the gravity of his offense in Arkansas would take precedence, making it unlikely that the state would attempt to extradite him at this point.