Update: Slashing suspect being held on $100,000 bail
Update: Anthony Wayne Smith was held on $100,000 cash bail or $200,000 bond after his arraignment in Town Court Friday morning, a court clerk said.
He is due back in court on Sept. 30.
A Riverhead ex-con arrested for felony weapons possession earlier this year is now facing felony assault and weapons charges after Riverhead Police say he slashed a man in the face on Railroad Avenue last night.
The man — who has prior convictions for felony weapons possession and assault and who had also received $350,000 in a settlement with the town two years ago over an alleged wrongful arrest — is also accused of harassing two other men nearby and damaging a cop’s computer and handcuffs during his arrest, according to a police news release.
Police said 56-year-old Anthony Wayne Smith cut a Hispanic man across the face with a knife on Railroad Avenue near the railroad station about 7:45 p.m. The victim called police, who found the man bleeding from an apparent cut.
The 32-year-old victim pointed out Mr. Smith, who was still at the scene, as the man who cut him, according to the release. Detectives later determined that Mr. Smith had “physically harassed” two other Hispanic men during the same incident, police said.
Police arrested Mr. Smith, who allegedly damaged a pair of handcuffs and a computer keyboard being the arresting officer was using to document the arrest.
Mr. Smith was charged with felony assault, felony and misdemeanor weapons possession, two counts each of misdemeanor criminal mischief, misdemeanor obstructing governmental administration and harassment, both violations.
The alleged assault marks the eleventh assault or robbery in the downtown area this year. Like most of the victims in the other incidents this year, the victim in Thursday’s alleged attack was Hispanic, police said.
Police did not immediately say whether this incident was related to prior attacks.
Mr. Smith had most recently been arrested in May when he was allegedly caught with a “gravity knife,” in violation of his parole. He was charged with felony weapons possession; an update on that case was not immediately available.
Online inmates records show Mr. Smith has twice been convicted of felonies, once for an weapons possession in 1976 and again in 2002 for assault. He served 12 and six years for the two convictions, respectively, according to the records.
Mr. Smith had sued the town and two police officers seeking $2.4 million in 1996. He alleged that town police officers falsely arrested him for “asserting his free speech,” according to the suit.
In August 2012, the town paid out $350,000 to Mr. Smith in a settlement.
Police said Mr. Smith was held in Riverhead police headquarters overnight for arraignment in town court Friday morning.
