A police shooting outside a Sheetz on Eureka Road in Taylor has spun into a felony case that will play out in a Wayne County courtroom. The Ohio man wounded on Monday's confrontation, 38-year-old Cizquindrie T. L. Smith of Canton, has now been arraigned on a slate of serious charges and sent home on GPS-tethered house arrest. Authorities say the encounter began after an alert tied his U-Haul truck to an armed robbery in the Cleveland area.
Felony counts and strict bond terms
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, as reported by CBS News Detroit, has charged Smith with carrying a concealed weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, third-degree fleeing and eluding, felonious assault, resisting and obstructing a police officer, and two counts of felony firearm.
At arraignment, Smith received a $75,000 cash/surety bond along with a GPS tether and house arrest. Prosecutors say he is barred from possessing any weapons, must turn over his driver's license and passport, and is not allowed to leave Michigan. Court records show he is scheduled for a probable-cause conference on July 20 and a preliminary examination on July 27.
How the showdown at Sheetz unfolded
Taylor officers say the U-Haul's license plate first pinged a reader system as being linked to an aggravated armed robbery out of Cleveland on June 30. Police then tracked the truck to the Sheetz in the 20600 block of Eureka Road. There, officials allege, Smith tried to take off, backed the vehicle into a police cruiser, and was seen fumbling for what looked like a gun before allegedly pointing it at officers. Four Taylor officers opened fire and hit him, according to FOX 2 Detroit. A female passenger in the truck was not injured and is cooperating with investigators.
Busy Eureka strip locked down
The Sheetz parking lot, where the chain lists a planned location at 20623 Eureka Road, was taped off as officers from multiple departments converged on the scene. Traffic slowed, and lanes were blocked along a busy commercial stretch just east of I-75 while investigators worked. Hoodline's coverage of a spring police surge in Eureka noted the area had already seen stepped-up law enforcement presence this year, and the station temporarily closed while detectives processed the shooting scene, according to ClickOnDetroit.
Felony-firearm law raises prison stakes
If Smith is convicted of the felony-firearm counts, Michigan law requires mandatory prison time on top of any sentence for the underlying felonies. The state's felony-firearm statute, MCL 750.227b, calls for a set term that must be served consecutively and before any punishment for the related offense. That stacking can significantly increase total time behind bars when paired with convictions for felon-in-possession, felonious assault, or fleeing charges, as outlined by Michigan Courts.
State police probe and what comes next
Michigan State Police are handling the investigation into the officer-involved shooting, which is standard protocol in cases where local officers fire their weapons. The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office has filed the criminal charges that will now move through the county court system.
Taylor police gave a public briefing on Monday's press conference, and the station was temporarily closed as investigators documented the scene, according to ClickOnDetroit. Officials have not announced any disciplinary action involving the four officers while the state investigation continues.
