Over the weekend, a chase that can only be described as atypical unfolded in Highlands County when a suspected DUI driver, Richard Christopher Smith, decided to offer a deputy a vodka spritzer during the pursuit. FOX 35 Orlando reported that just before 3 p.m. last Saturday, authorities received a call from the Spring Lake Market with a theft report involving Smith stealing various alcoholic items and fleeing in a black minivan.
Deputies soon encountered Smith, who, according to FOX 35 Orlando, tried to hand them a can of Ketel One vodka spritz while casually saying, "I was just going to give you a drink, that’s it," during the chase. Not long after, Smith reportedly attempted to ram two patrol vehicles and was eventually stopped by spike strips deployed by law enforcement. Despite being surrounded, Smith seemed unfazed as he tried to walk away from the crash site, a smoke break in hand.
The pursuit finally came to an end near the Sebring Airport. WFLA reported that Smith flashed a grin at the deputies and asked, "You guys had fun though, right?" His nonchalant demeanor remained consistent as the footage showed him calmly smoking a cigarette before being apprehended. "A lot of stupid s*** right now," a deputy responded when Smith inquired about the reasons for his arrest, WFLA detailed.
Owing to the events, Smith now faces a slew of charges, which include two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, DUI, and more. Trying to get away after driving circles around the store at the scene, Smith had his plan foiled when the Highlands County Sheriff's Office resorted to the use of a taser, according to what the suspect drove by a deputy getting him to stop during the pursuit, citing, "I was just going to give you a drink, that’s it," as claimed in a post sharing the bodycam video, as obtained by Police1. Smith is being held on a $120,000 bond.
