Police Planned to Arrest Ex-Utah Trooper

Updated 7:00 AM CST, Fri, Jan 9, 2009

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An ex-Utah state trooper who police say was involved in a series of roadway shootings last month learned just hours before the deadly incidents that he would soon be arrested on burglary and robbery charges.

Southlake police planned to arrest Brian Smith in connection with a Dec. 17 mugging and a Dec. 22 vehicle burglary, according to the Thursday online edition of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Southlake police Detective Richard Anderson interviewed Smith about the burglary about 12:45 p.m. Dec. 22, about two hours after it was reported, documents released Thursday said. Detectives connected Smith to the crimes after a witness to the vehicle burglary wrote down his license plate number.

Anderson's affidavit said Smith was "very calm" at first, but grew "irritated" after nearly 30 minutes of questioning. Smith asked to stop the interview after Anderson told him about a surveillance video that showed him committing the burglary while an unidentified woman was in the car with him in Southlake, about 25 miles northwest of Dallas.

After Smith said the woman was not his wife, Anderson ended the interview then walked Smith to the police parking lot, according to the Dec. 22 affidavit.

A gunman who identified himself as Brian Smith stole prescription drugs from a Kroger pharmacy in Garland later that day. After the pharmacy robbery, several motorists were shot at in Dallas and suburban Garland.

Police in Dallas have connected Smith to the fatal shooting of truck driver William Scott Miller, who was killed while driving on Interstate 635. Twenty-year-old Jorge Lopez died about 10 minutes earlier after being shot in his car while at a red light in nearby Garland. Police in the Dallas suburb have linked Smith's weapon to the one used in that killing.

Two other people were shot at on I-635 that night. Neither was hit by bullets.

Smith shot himself in Garland after a brief standoff with police. He died Dec. 24 after being taken off life support.

Hours before the deadly shootings, Smith's wife, Angela, told investigators she had found a woman's purse containing various items in a trash can at their Keller home, The Dallas Morning News reported in its online edition Thursday.

According to an affidavit Angela Smith said she confronted her husband about what she found and he promised to return the items. But later she discovered an iPod -- which had been in the purse -- inside her husband's vehicle.

Among the records released by Southlake officials were several surveillance photos showing Smith using a stolen gift card to make purchases. In at least one of the photos, he was accompanied by his young daughter.