Columbus rape suspect dragged woman into woods near Riverwalk before assault, cop says
A Phenix City man pulled a woman into the wood line near the Chattahoochee Riverwalk before sexually assaulting her in September, according to police testimony in Columbus Recorder’s Court.
Shaquille Smith, 25, did not appear in court Wednesday but was represented by an attorney with the Muscogee County Public Defender’s Office and entered a plea of not guilty. He faces charges of rape, kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, aggravated assault, terroristic threats and acts, and obstructing a person with a cell phone. The district attorney’s office also added an additional charge of armed robbery during the hearing.
On September 24, police were called to an area of the Riverwalk near the Civic Center in reference to a sexual assault. Officers were met by a woman who said that around 7 p.m., she had been running near light posts 275 and 276 when she passed a man, later identified as Smith, sitting on a bench wrapped in a black blanket, Cpl. A. Wiseman testified.
“The victim is an avid runner and in the military,” Wiseman said. “She was actually training for her military fitness test in the area where it was set to happen that evening when she ran by Smith.”
After running past the man, the woman told officers that he grabbed her from behind and dragged her towards the wood line off the trail. Once in the wood line, Smith began assaulting her, Wiseman said.
The woman told officers she tried to use the emergency call function on her phone but Smith forced it away from her using a metal crowbar, Wiseman said. Officers recovered the crowbar at the scene.
During investigation, the victim identified Smith from a six-man lineup. Wiseman said that at least two witnesses also have been identified.
One is a man who was biking in the area at the time of the incident. He told officers that he approached Smith to ask what was going on and Smith told the man to “mind his business” or else he would kill the biker. The man then left the scene, Wiseman said.
CPD has not been able to track down the second witness. Because of the time of day, Wiseman said more people may have witnessed or heard the incident.
“A lot of people were around during this incident,” Wiseman said. “We know that it has to be more than these two people who heard or saw something.”
No bond was granted and Judge Julius Hunter bound the case over to Superior Court. He also issued a no-contact order between Smith and the victim.
This story was originally published October 13, 2021 at 1:12 PM.
