CAPTURED: Deputies arrest felon wanted for Harassment and Attempted Vehicle Theft



CAPTURED -- King County Sheriff's deputies arrested Tony Smithee on June 11, 2020.

WANTED IN KING COUNTY --
Convicted felon, Tony Smithee, or ‘TJ’ as he likes to be known, is wanted in King County on several charges, starting with harassment, after Auburn Police say he incited a vicious assault in February.

“Tony and his friend were walking. They met another male that was known to them. Tony threatened to kill that male and kind of instigated a fight. The second subject that Tony was with ended up punching this victim in the face and ended up breaking his nose and his orbital socket, went down to the ground. Tony and the co-defendant left the area,” said King County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ryan Abbott.

When Auburn Police arrested Smithee two weeks later, officers say he had a sawed-off shotgun tucked in his pants. Since he has a criminal history in Oklahoma and Arkansas that includes a felony battery conviction, he cannot legally have a gun. Prosecutors have charged him with Unlawful Possession of a Short-Barreled Firearm.

Smithee was released from jail on March 4th and by the end of the month -- he had been arrested again -- after police say he was caught trying to steal a truck.

He got out of jail again on March 31st and is now wanted after not showing up to court.

"We want to catch this guy bad. We want to get him off the streets. We know that he has the tendency to get into physical altercations. And again, he's threatened to kill this guy. The victim believes that it was true and was afraid for his life, which is why he tried to walk away and as he was walking away, is when the second subject punched him in the face and knocked him to the ground."

Tony Smithee is 23 years old, 5’4”, weighs 130 pounds and has a ton of tattoos, including large stars on his chest.

Detectives say he's known to live homeless in the Auburn area.

If you spot him on the street -- call 911.

If you know where King County deputies can find him, use the P3 Tips app on your smart phone to submit the information anonymously to Crime Stoppers and get the cash reward if your tip helps lead to his arrest. You can also call the hot line at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477).