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ISP: Suspect fought with trooper, grabbed Taser during traffic stop

A man is behind bars after a minor traffic stop turned violent Thursday afternoon.
Credit: Ada Co. Jail
Lee Thomas Smith

BOISE -- A man is behind bars after a minor traffic stop turned violent Thursday afternoon.

According to Idaho State Police, a trooper driving on I-84 pulled over 28-year-old Lee Thomas Smith a few miles from the Boise Stage Stop for a license plate infraction.

Once the trooper walked up to Smith's car and started talking to him, however, police say the driver jumped out of his car and tried to run away.

The trooper caught up with the suspect, and the pair got into a physical fight. During the struggle, the trooper Tased Smith.

At that point, according to ISP, Smith grabbed the Taser away from the trooper. The trooper was ultimately able to pull it back from the suspect.

More troopers arrived at the scene, and helped take Smith into custody.

The trooper who originally pulled Smith over suffered a cut on his head during the fight, but wasn't seriously injured. A search of Smith's Chevy turned up a pound of marijuana, according to police.

He was arrested and booked into the Ada County Jail on felony counts of aggravated assault, battery on an officer, attempting to remove a firearm from an officer, drug trafficking, possession of marijuana and failure to appear, as well as misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, providing false information, drug possession, possession of paraphernalia, driving without privileges, and failure to provide proof of insurance.

Smith is due to appear in court Friday.

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