Warrant affidavit gives insight into Smith Co. high speed chase

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SMITH COUNTY, TX (KLTV) - Passengers in a vehicle involved in a high-speed chase last week fired shots at a Smith County deputy's vehicle.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit obtained Tuesday, Jeremy Robinson, 31, told deputies that he met up with at least two other individuals at an RV park in Tyler on the evening of March 21. One of the individuals called another person and demanded that the person pay a bad drug debt.

While on the phone, the individual trying to collect the drug debt became angry and instructed Robinson to get two AR-15's and an AK 47 from Robinson's vehicle, a black Nissan Altima. The individual trying to collect the drug debt took one of the AR-15's, and two other individuals took the other AR -15 and the AK 47, according to the warrant affidavit.

The affidavit states, the night of the chase Smith County deputies along with DEA agents were actively conducting an investigation in Smith County which consisted of surveilling certain individuals and a certain location. During the surveillance of one of the locations, six individuals exited a building and got into two separate vehicles, one of those vehicles was the black Nissan involved in the high-speed chase. Both vehicles headed in different directions.

Those vehicles continued to be surveilled by law enforcement. The black Nissan cut across the Food Fast parking lot at the intersection of Highway 64 W. and Thompson Lane, which is a traffic violation. At that time, a deputy initiated a traffic stop on the Nissan. The Nissan, driven by Robinson fled the scene and a chase pursued. Two passengers in the Nissan began firing on the lead deputy's vehicle multiple times, disabling it.

Robinson was taken into custody the following day after a standoff at a Tyler hotel.

According to the warrant affidavit, authorities believe that based on his admission of passing out the weapons and driving the vehicle that was fleeing from deputies, Robinson actively participated in the aggravated assault on a deputy.

The other individuals involved in the chase have not been arrested.