TAYLOR, Mich. – A man shot by Taylor police appeared in court Thursday from his hospital bed.
He faces multiple felony charges, including firearm offenses and felonious assault. He’s also linked to two alleged robberies in Ohio.
Cizquindrie Smith, 38, was arraigned in 23rd District Court and received a $75,000 cash/surety bond with GPS tether and house arrest conditions.
Charges against Smith
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy charged Smith with one count of carrying a concealed weapon, one count of felon in possession of a firearm, one count of fleeing and eluding, third degree, one count of felonious assault, one count of resisting and obstructing a police officer, and two counts of felony firearm.
How the incident unfolded
The incident began around 11:32 a.m. Monday, when a license plate reader flagged a stolen U-Haul outside the Sheetz gas station in the 20600 block of Eureka Road in Taylor.
Authorities allege Smith refused to exit the truck and backed into a police cruiser.
Officers then observed him fumbling with an object resembling a handgun and pointing it in their direction, prompting them to open fire.
Smith was struck and transported to a local hospital.
A firearm was later recovered from the driver’s side floorboard of the vehicle.
Police say information from a woman who was in the U-Haul led detectives to a nearby Red Roof Inn, where investigators found two other women and several children, along with evidence believed to be connected to the case.
That woman has since been released from police custody.
Ohio connections
Investigators say the same stolen U-Haul is believed to have been used in at least two robberies in Ohio just days before the Taylor incident, an armed robbery at a Family Dollar in Cleveland and a bank robbery in Toledo.
“We are still investigating, still working with other out-of-state agencies, including the FBI,” said Detective Lt. Joshua Schneider of the Taylor Police Department.
Court records also show Smith was convicted of child endangerment in 2015 in Canton, Ohio.
Concerns over bond
Taylor police expressed disappointment with the bond amount set by the court.
“When you take a weapon and point it in the direction of police officers, and unknown if he fired at this time or not, you’re showing right there that you have no regard for human life. So, we are disappointed in the $75,000 bond given today by the court,” Schneider said.
Under the terms of his bond, Smith is not permitted to leave the state, is prohibited from possessing firearms or other dangerous weapons, and must surrender his driver’s license and passport.
He is due back in court July 20, 2026, for a probable cause conference.