ROYSE CITY, Texas - Former NBA player Earl Joseph Smith III, better known as J.R. Smith, was arrested Monday afternoon in Royse City after an automated license plate reader alerted an officer to an outstanding warrant, police said.
A Royse City police officer received an alert from the department's in-car Automatic License Plate Reader system at about 2:45 p.m. Sept. 28 as Smith's vehicle traveled east on Interstate 30.
The officer located the vehicle and checked its license plate to confirm the alert. Police said the check showed an active warrant from the Southlake Police Department for Smith on a charge of family violence assault causing bodily injury.
The officer conducted a traffic stop and identified Smith, 41, as the driver. After confirming the warrant, police took him into custody.
Royse City police did not provide details about the incident that led Southlake authorities to obtain the warrant, including when it occurred, the identity of the person involved or the circumstances surrounding the assault allegation.
Smith's brother was with him when he was arrested, and police released the vehicle to him.
Smith was transported to the Hunt County Detention Center and booked on the Southlake warrant.
Smith played 16 seasons in the NBA after entering the league in 2004. His career included stints with the New Orleans Hornets, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers. He was named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year in 2013 and won NBA championships with Cleveland in 2016 and Los Angeles in 2020.
The family violence charge is an accusation, and Smith is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
