Warner Robins man sentenced to 60 years in state prison for 2023 standoff with police
Renaldo Smith has now been sentenced in both federal and state courts after a 2023 standoff in Warner Robins, where he fired on officers during an attempted arrest.
WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Warner Robins man previously sentenced to 25 years in federal prison has now been sentenced to 60 years in state prison for opening fire on law enforcement officers during a 2023 standoff, according to a news release from Houston County District Attorney Eric Edwards.
On Wednesday, a Houston County jury convicted 34-year-old Renaldo Rashad Smith of 12 counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer. The jury deliberated for less than two hours. Judge Katherine Lumsden sentenced Smith immediately to three consecutive 20-year sentences.
According to the Houston County DA’s Office, the charges stem from a January 31, 2023 incident at 209 Somerset Drive in Warner Robins, when law enforcement tried to arrest Smith on outstanding warrants. According to the DA’s office, Smith barricaded himself inside the home and fired multiple times at officers. The U.S. Marshals called in the Warner Robins Police Department SWAT and Hostage Negotiation teams, who negotiated for six hours. After gas canisters were deployed, the DA’s Office says Smith fired again. Law enforcement shot Smith in the arm and arrested him. No officers or civilians were injured.
Shell casings were recovered inside the home, and some of Smith’s bullets struck the WRPD Bearcat and two nearby homes, according to the release.
“This defendant made a choice to escalate a peaceful attempt at arrest into an hours-long standoff that put lives at risk—including his own,” Edwards said. “Thanks to the professionalism and restraint of law enforcement, no officers—or innocent neighbors—were harmed. We will always stand with the men and women who protect this community and send a clear message: if you open fire on police, you will be held accountable.”
The state conviction comes nearly a year after Smith was sentenced in federal court. On July 3, 2024, U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell sentenced Smith to 25 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, Smith pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Federal sentences do not allow for parole.
“Renaldo Smith put the lives of many people at risk when he opened fire on law enforcement officers attempting to take him safely into custody,” U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary said in 2024. “These highly trained officers are to be commended for their display of bravery in the line of duty and for safely bringing the defendant into custody.”
