A Lake City man has been arrested in connection with a shooting incident which resulted in the death of Kendrick Jerry (47) which occurred in late June of this year. A warrant was issued for Michael Andrew Smith (35) of Lake City after a grand jury convened today and returned an indictment. Smith was taken into custody by detectives shortly thereafter.
The shooting took place on Sunday June 25, 2023 shortly after 1:00pm at the Chevron gas station located at U.S.441N. and I-10. Deputies learned that Jerry and Smith had been involved in an altercation just prior to the shooting which resulted in Jerry’s death.
The decision was made to present the case to a grand jury once all facts, evidence, and possible legal defenses could be gathered. The grand jury returned an indictment for 1 count of manslaughter while armed, and 1 count of possession of an altered firearm.
“With current stand your ground laws, we did not want to pursue criminal charges prematurely in this case,” said Sheriff Mark Hunter in a statement. “After consulting with the State Attorney’s Office, we agreed that the best way to proceed was to let a grand jury of Mr. Smith’s peers decide on what charges, if any, would be appropriate.”
Smith was arrested and will be booked into the Columbia County Detention Facility on a $200,000 bond. A trial date has not yet been determined.
