Deputy Michael Smith

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On September 30, 2023, Deputy Michael Smith was involved in a fatal shooting incident where he shot and killed 18-year-old Isaac Ocegueda, an unarmed driver, and injured passenger Yuleni Zavala. The incident occurred after a suspect, Jose M. Corral-Zavala, engaged in a shootout with deputies and fled into a minivan driven by Ocegueda. A lawsuit filed on January 18, 2024, alleges that Deputy Smith used excessive force and that Polk County failed to properly train him in the use of deadly force. The lawsuit seeks up to $28.5 million in damages. Additionally, a county investigation found that Deputy Smith ‘responds emotionally to confrontation, rather than implementing cognitive thinking and errs in judgment by not slowing things down once situations have escalated.’ The grand jury, however, unanimously found that Deputy Smith was justified in the shooting.

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In 2019, Deputy Michael Smith was involved in an incident where he kicked down the door of a resident’s home, arrested the individual for offensive littering, and allegedly used excessive force. The resident filed a lawsuit alleging that Deputy Smith violated his constitutional rights by entering his home without a warrant and using excessive force. A county investigation concluded that Deputy Smith ‘responds emotionally to confrontation, rather than implementing cognitive thinking’ and ‘errs in his judgment by not slowing things down once situations have escalated.’ The lawsuit was settled out of court, and specific details of the settlement were not disclosed.

[Return to blog post](https://watchaudits.com/deputy-michael-smith-polk-county-sheriffs-office-2/)

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In 2018, Deputy Michael Smith was involved in an incident where he allegedly used excessive force during a traffic stop, resulting in a lawsuit against Polk County. The lawsuit claimed that Deputy Smith violated the plaintiff’s constitutional rights by using unnecessary force and making an unlawful arrest. A county investigation found that Deputy Smith ‘responds emotionally to confrontation, rather than implementing cognitive thinking’ and ‘errs in his judgment by not slowing things down once situations have escalated.’ The lawsuit was settled out of court, with the county agreeing to pay damages to the plaintiff.

[Return to blog post](https://watchaudits.com/deputy-michael-smith-polk-county-sheriffs-office-3/)

[CBKN76]

In 2017, Deputy Michael Smith was involved in an incident where he allegedly used excessive force during the arrest of a suspect, leading to a lawsuit against Polk County. The lawsuit alleged that Deputy Smith violated the suspect’s constitutional rights by using unnecessary force and making an unlawful arrest. A county investigation concluded that Deputy Smith ‘responds emotionally to confrontation, rather than implementing cognitive thinking’ and ‘errs in his judgment by not slowing things down once situations have escalated.’ The lawsuit was settled out of court, with the county agreeing to pay damages to the plaintiff.

[Return to blog post](https://watchaudits.com/deputy-michael-smith-polk-county-sheriffs-office-4/)

[CBKN76]

In 2016, Deputy Michael Smith was involved in an incident where he allegedly used excessive force during the arrest of a suspect, resulting in a lawsuit against Polk County. The lawsuit claimed that Deputy Smith violated the suspect’s constitutional rights by using unnecessary force and making an unlawful arrest. A county investigation found that Deputy Smith ‘responds emotionally to confrontation, rather than implementing cognitive thinking’ and ‘errs in his judgment by not slowing things down once situations have escalated.’ The lawsuit was settled out of court, with the county agreeing to pay damages to the plaintiff.

[Return to blog post](https://watchaudits.com/deputy-michael-smith-polk-county-sheriffs-office-5/)

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