Court Filing: Suspect ‘Pointed Guns at Other Motorists’ Prior to Hwy 169 Fatal Shooting
A new court filing by Hennepin County prosecutors accuses the suspect in the Highway 169 fatal shooting in Plymouth of “pointing guns at other motorists” prior to the shooting.
Jamal Smith, 33, of Chicago is charged with second-degree intentional murder in the July highway shooting death of Jay Boughton, 56, of Crystal.
According to the court filing, prosecutors allege Smith “brandished a firearm to five other vehicles and semi-trucks” on his trip from Chicago to Minnesota. The filing also stated a police report from Wisconsin documented the conduct.
Prosecutors also said Smith “pointed guns at other motorists for minor reasons while driving” in the weeks and months before he allegedly killed Boughton. Smith was arrested Aug. 24 in Decatur, Ill.
The filing is part of the prosecution’s notice that it intends to use these accounts at trial to establish a pattern of criminal behavior against Smith.
Jay Boughton was a coach for the Armstrong Cooper Youth Baseball Association.
Prosecutors to Seek More Severe Sentence
In a separate court filing Wednesday, Hennepin County prosecutors said they will seek an upward sentencing departure for Smith should he be convicted. Prosecutors listed three factors:
- The crime was committed in the presence of a child. Boughton’s 15-year-old son was in the car with him when he was shot.
- Smith’s alleged conduct “created a greater than normal danger to the safety of other people on the roadway.”
- The shooting, if convicted, would be Smith’s third violent crime.
Smith is currently being held in the Hennepin County jail. He’s due back in court Oct. 11.
