A woman accused of intimidating a witness in a felony case turned herself in to Columbus Police Department Monday.
Joanne Smith, 36, of 313 Vance St., is in custody at Lowndes County Adult Detention Center.
CPD investigators say Smith was at the Premier Lounge on 22nd Street South Nov. 4 at about 1 a.m. when she punched a witness in an ongoing Lowndes County Circuit Court case, according to a CPD press release.
The victim filed a report with CPD Nov. 6, and a municipal judge issued a warrant for Smith’s arrest.
At the same time Smith allegedly punched the victim, there was a disturbance call at the Premier Lounge, which eventually escalated to CPD patrolman Jared Booth shooting and killing 24-year-old Raymond Davis. Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting and city authorities have said Davis was holding a gun when Booth shot him.
CPD investigators have not said whether Smith’s charge is related to the shooting. However, they have confirmed the charge is related to an August charge when Smith was arrested for intimidating a witness in a grand jury case. She was out on $5,000 bond at the time of the Nov. 4 incident.
Smith’s bond has not been set.
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