United States District Court Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced ChanceThe Wind Smith, age 32, of Omak, Washington, to 96 months in federal prison for a violentshooting that took place on the Colville Indian Reservation in September 2021. Judge Rice alsoimposed three years of federal supervision upon Smith’s release from custody. Smith pled guiltyto charges of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Indian Country and Theft in Indian Countryin August 2022.
In announcing the sentence, Judge Rice varied upward from the advisory United StatesSentencing Guidelines range and adopted the United States’ recommendation of 96 months infederal custody. Judge Rice specifically noted the effects of Smith’s conduct on his victims andthe seriousness of the offense, including that the shooting took place in the presence of smallchildren.
According to court documents and proceedings, on the night of September 11, 2021, ColvilleTribal Police and emergency medical technicians responded to a shooting in Omak, Washington.A victim had a gunshot wound to his abdomen from a .357 caliber Sig Sauer handgun. Thevictim was rushed to the local hospital and had to be life-flighted to Harborview Medical Centerin Seattle for life-saving measures. Several eyewitnesses reported that Smith, who had fled thescene, shot the victim in the stomach and stole the victim’s Dodge Charger. As Smith wasdriving away in the stolen car, he almost ran over a five-year old child. An audio and videorecording of the incident demonstrated that Smith physically assaulted a female witness justseconds before the shooting and the theft of the victim’s car. Fortunately, the victim survived,and he continues to recover from the injuries sustained during the shooting.
“My office is committed to prosecuting those who commit violence in Indian country,” U.S.Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref stated. “I’m grateful for all victims and witnesses who comeforward to report crime. When we build trust between law enforcement and members of ourcommunity, we make Eastern Washington safer and stronger.” U.S. Attorney Waldref continued,“Native Americans experience some of the highest rates of violence in the country, a situationthat is all the more tragic in light of the generations of trauma already suffered by Indigenouspeople. The Colville Tribal Police and the FBI did an incredible job of investigating this tragiccrime. We are grateful for the tremendous partnership between the FBI and Tribal lawenforcement, which helped achieve justice for the victim and his family.”
“Violence on our state’s Indian Reservations is at an intolerable level,” said Richard A. Collodi,Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “When you consider the impact Mr.Smith’s crimes had on children, who were innocent witnesses, this significant sentence iswarranted. I am grateful for the professionalism of our investigators and partners who work thesedifficult cases.”
The case was investigated by the Colville Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau ofInvestigation. This case was prosecuted by Richard R. Barker, Assistant United States Attorneyfor the Eastern District of Washington.
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