During a simple traffic stop, a young woman brandished a gun and opened fire at a police officer, nearly killing him in order to get out of a ticket. However, despite her smirking and denying she did anything wrong, the judge had a response that wiped the smile right off her face.
In the apparent view of 26-year-old Desiree Breshay Smith, she can do no wrong. So, after allegedly attempting to kill a North Carolina police officer for simply pulling her over for a traffic violation, she expected to go free. Unfortunately, the judge wasn’t about to appease her sense of entitlement.
Just after 11 p.m., Fayetteville police officers witnessed Smith’s 2006 Chevrolet Impala speed through a stop sign on the 2000 block of Corrinna Street. As such, the officers engaged their lights and siren in an effort to pull over the driver. However, stopping for a ticket just wasn’t in Smith’s plans.
Instead of stopping, Smith brandished a firearm and opened fire at one of the officers, reportedly in an attempt to murder him. Disturbingly, what would’ve been a simple traffic violation turned into a deadly drive-by shooting, leading police on a terrifying chase.
Eventually, Smith was apprehended while trying to flee the scene. Soon after her arrest, police charged her with felony assault with a deadly weapon on a government official, felony flee to elude arrest, possession of a stolen firearm, careless and reckless driving, and failure to stop at a stop sign, according to The Fayetteville Observer. Fortunately, neither officer was injured.
“As soon as he saw that she was firing shots, he initiated his emergency equipment and she began to flee,” Fayetteville Police Sergeant Jeremy Glass said.
After being held in the Cumberland County Detention Center on a $25,000 bond, Smith went to court for her initial appearance. However, instead of showing remorse for the seriousness of her crimes, Smith smirked and defended her actions, arguing that she shouldn’t be in jail because she’s a good student who’s never been arrested before, Law Enforcement Today reports.
“I’ve never been in trouble before – never ever,” she told the judge. “I’m not guilty of anything they’re saying. I work. I go to school.”
Upon witnessing her remorseless behavior, Judge Stephen Stokes decided to teach her lesson in humility. In response to her arrogant attitude, the judge ordered Smith’s bond to be raised from $25,000 to a whopping $100,000. The suddenly straight-faced and silent woman was then escorted back into police custody.
During a subsequent investigation, authorities discovered empty shell casings in Smith’s car. The spent rounds were confirmed to be from the same stolen gun fired by the suspect at officers. It will be incredibly difficult for Smith to defend herself against the mounting evidence, despite her alleged stellar reputation as a hard-working collegiate.
Regardless of Smith’s willingness to keep a job and study for school, she has proven herself to be a danger to the public and law enforcement officers. It would be safe to say that her ability to show up to class doesn’t outweigh the fact that she tried to kill a police officer just to avoid getting a traffic ticket.