Man Dies After Stealing Patrol Car 
Apr 28, 2002 - Tennessee

Man Dies After Stealing Patrol Car
Arrest Leads to Death
By Jennifer Bolin
WDEF-TV News 12 

A Hixson man is dead and police are unsure how he died 
after a bizarre chain of event this morning.

It all unfolded in the McDonald's parking lot at the corner 
of Hixson Pike and Daisy Dallas Road.

And, it all started because of harassing phone calls.

Broken glass litters the lawn of this home next to McDonald's
on Hixson Pike.

That's where a sheriff's patrol car crashed early Sunday morning.

Deputy Marty Dunn was enroute to the magistrate's office to take 
out warrants on Glen Ellis Smith, Jr. when he spotted the man's car 
in the fast-food chain parking lot.

Deputy Dunn took Smith into custody and placed the man in the back 
of his patrol car.

That's when the events began to unfold.

Sheriff John Cupp/Hamilton County

"Mister Smith had managed to, still handcuffed, get up into the 
front seat and put the car in gear, and go toward the officer. 
The officer returned fire."

Roger Schild/Soddy Daisy

"I heard four shots.. bam.. bam. Then I saw the head lights and 
heard a crash."

Impact marks on this tree show where the stolen patrol car came to
a stop.

Jackie Coffman's home sits yards away from where the crash happened.

Jackie Coffman/Hixson

"All I heard was big kaboom.. didn't have any clue what it was.. 
jumped out looked outside and saw a police car steaming and smoking."

Smith was pronounced dead at the scene, but Sheriff Cupp is not saying
what caused his death.

As for the officer who fired the shots, he remains on leave pending an
investigation by the T-B-I.


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