POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Plant City man currently on probation for attempted murder is back behind bars after deputies say he fired a handgun just feet away from a patrol car early Sunday morning, claiming he was simply trying to create “fireworks.”
The incident unfolded around 1:42 a.m. on January 11, 2026. Polk County Sheriff’s deputies responded to multiple reports of a large crowd gathering in Fort Meade, near the intersection of Seminole Avenue South and Dr. MLK, Jr. Street SW.
READ: Vanished At Sea: Pasco County Deputies Search For Man Last Seen 82 Miles Off Florida Gulf Coast
As deputies worked to disperse the group and clear the roadways, the situation escalated. Investigators say 51-year-old Christopher Oniel Smith stood roughly 50 to 75 feet away from a PCSO sergeant who was seated inside a patrol vehicle. Smith then allegedly discharged a firearm.
The sergeant immediately accelerated the patrol car toward Smith. Although Smith attempted to run, he was quickly apprehended by deputies. A Glock 43X handgun was recovered at the scene.
According to the arrest report, Smith admitted to deputies that he was intoxicated at the time. When asked about the shooting, he reportedly told investigators he was “just firing the gun to make fireworks.”
READ: Georgia Man Killed, Crew In Florida Injured After Truck Plows Into Howard Frankland Work Zone
A background check revealed Smith has a violent criminal history. He is currently on felony probation for Attempted First-Degree Murder, a conviction stemming from 1996 for which he served 14 and a half years in prison.
Smith was booked into the Sheriff’s Processing Center on Sunday. He faces a long list of new charges, including Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Tampering with Evidence, Discharging a Firearm in Public, and Use of a Firearm Under the Influence of Alcohol.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
