TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. - A SWAT standoff involving one of two North Carolina fugitives came to a fiery end in Florida Sunday night.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office took Alton Smoot into custody while Donald Billings was taken to the hospital after the standoff. Billings, 50; and Smoot, 26, had warrants out of North Carolina.
The warrants stemmed from an August 11 traffic stop in Alleghany County when Billings and Smoot drove away from deputies. Deputies say gunfire came from the vehicle during the chase. No deputies were hurt.
The chase was called off and Billings and Smoot got away. Investigators say they then stole a 1997 Chevy Tahoe from White Rock Road after ditching another vehicle in the Thurmond community of Surry County. Billings and Smoot came down to Treasure Island to stay with a woman there.
The sheriff's office got information that Billings and Smoot were in an apartment in Treasure Island and set up surveillance. Once they did, they were able to take Smoot and several women he was with into custody. Those women weren't arrested and confirmed that Billings was in the apartment. They say he was in bed with an AR-15, machete, handgun and pipe bomb.
A SWAT team was called out and tried to communicate with Billings, but were unsuccessful because Billings doesn't have a cell phone and the apartment didn't have a phone, either.
The SWAT team used tear gas to try to get Billings out, but he wouldn't leave. They then set off flash bangs, and as they were entering the apartment, fire broke out. It's not clear if Billings set it.
Fire crews had already been on scene and were able to quickly knock down the flames.
Billings was found inside the apartment badly burned with 2 AR-15 magazines in his pockets. He was air-lifted to the hospital. His condition is unknown.
"There's no question that Smoot and Billings are bad people," said Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. "They have extensive histories."
Gualtieri said Billings was wanted out of North Carolina for attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, felony conspiracy to commit first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer and being a felon in possession with a firearm.
Smoot was wanted for aggravated assault with a gun, attempted first-degree murder and felony conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, as well as fleeing and eluding.
The woman Billings and Smoot were staying with will not be charged, said Gualtieri. It's not clear if she was inside when the fire broke out.
