Man shot follows gunman, leads police to find, arrest him

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office and the Evansville Police Department on Tuesday arrested an Evansville man after a man he shot followed him and led police to his location.

Derek Anthony Smith, 64, of Evansville, was arrested and preliminarily charged with attempted murder, battery with a deadly weapon, and criminal recklessness.

At 5:11 p.m. Tuesday, a man called Evansville Joint Central Dispatch after he had been shot by Smith, who had left the scene. The man told dispatch that he was following Smith in his vehicle, and he could guide police to Smith’s location. An Evansville officer conducted a traffic stop, taking Smith into custody without incident.

Investigators spotted a handgun in the floorboards of Smith’s vehicle.

The man told investigators he was inside his vehicle in the driveway of a friend’s river camp on Lynn Road when Smith drove past him several times before stopping directly in front of him, blocking him in the driveway. He called to Smith, who didn’t respond. Smith then pulled up alongside the man, pulled out a handgun, and fired a shot at him. The man had a grazing injury along his forearm.

The man exited his vehicle and charged Smith. He pushed the gun down and struck Smith several times in the head. The man wrestled the gun away before Smith pulled out a knife and began repeatedly trying to stab the man. The man repeatedly hit Smith and backed away from the vehicle. Smith put his vehicle in reverse, pulled away from the man, then drove it directly at him, knocking him down with the vehicle.

Smith then fled the scene.

The man got into his vehicle and followed Smith, which eventually led to his arrest. The man did not know Smith and had never met him prior to this incident

Smith received medical care at an area hospital and was later booked into jail.