Kaylon Cryn Smith Found Guilty of Lesser Charge In Dragging of Deputy, Not Guilty of Trafficking’ A Richmond County jury found an Augusta man guilty of the lesser charge of felony obstruction and not guilty of drug trafficking after a 2020 incident in which he dragged a deputy with his car, causing serious injury.
Deputy Keith Inman has been hospitalized for nearly three weeks after defendant Kay.
Kaylon Cryn Smith Found Guilty of Lesser Charge In Dragging of Deputy, Not Guilty of Trafficking
An Augusta man accused of dragging a Richmond County sheriff’s deputy with his car during a traffic stop in 2020 recently was acquitted of drug trafficking but found guilty of felony obstruction.
Kaylon Cryn Smith, 32, was originally charged with aggravated assault upon a police officer in connection to the incident. Richmond County Superior Court Judge John Flythe on Friday sentenced Smith to five years in prison for the lesser obstruction charge.
On Sept. 2, 2020, sheriff’s Deputy Keith Inman was conducting a traffic stop at Augusta West Parkway and Wrightboro Road when a K9 unit alerted him to the odor of narcotics at the driver’s side door, according to previous reporting.
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Inman told Smith he was under arrest. When Smith didn’t move, Inman pulled open the driver’s door and reached inside to unlatch Smith’s seatbelt, according to previous reporting. Smith started driving off while Inman was trapped with half his body inside the car and the rest pinned by the driver’s door.
The car drove through a parking lot and between two utility poles, finally knocking Inman loose.
“This District Attorney’s Office stands up for officers who do the right thing,” said Augusta District Attorney Jared T. Williams. “We stood up for Deputy Inman because he performed his duties admirably and did not deserve to be left for dead on the side of the road.”
Smith’s attorney Keith Johnson said the Smith family is grateful the jury listened to the facts as presented in the courtroom.
“He now will have an opportunity to move forward with his life in a positive manner,” Johnson said. “We wish deputy Keith Inman Godspeed in his continued recovery.”
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle:Â Man accused of dragging deputy by car sentenced to five years
