TEXARKANA, Texas - A 31-year-old man initially believed to have been the victim of a shooting was arrested outside a Texarkana Walmart after police said an investigation determined he was wounded during a violent domestic confrontation with his girlfriend.
Texarkana police arrested Marquaves Smith after someone who recognized him and knew he had outstanding felony warrants spotted him at Walmart and contacted police. Officers took Smith into custody as he left the store.
Smith was wanted on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, deadly conduct, two counts of endangering a child and unlawful restraint. Police said he also had an outstanding probation violation warrant from Arkansas.
The Texas charges stem from an August incident that police said initially appeared to be a shooting in which Smith was the victim.
Smith arrived at a local hospital early that morning with a gunshot wound to his hip. He told officers he had been shot while walking down the street, according to police.
Investigators said Smith was evasive and provided little information about what happened. Based on what officers knew at the time, police treated him as the apparent victim of a shooting.
The investigation changed after Smith's girlfriend arrived at another emergency room a short time later.
According to police, the woman reported that Smith became angry with her during the night, struck her in the head with a handgun and forced her into a bathroom at gunpoint.
She told investigators Smith fired a shot that narrowly missed her head and repeatedly threatened to kill her.
Police said the woman eventually attempted to escape through the front door, but Smith caught her before she could unlock it. During the confrontation, she noticed Smith had put down the handgun and grabbed it.
The woman told investigators she fired several rounds into the floor in an attempt to empty the weapon before Smith could use it against her. Police said Smith attempted to regain control of the gun while she was firing, and one of the rounds struck him in the hip.
Two young children were inside the home during the confrontation, according to police.
Investigators said physical evidence recovered from the residence supported the woman's account. By the time officers learned what police said had actually occurred, Smith had already been released from the hospital and could not be arrested that day.
Detectives subsequently obtained the felony warrants that led to Smith's arrest after the tip from the Walmart shopper.
