More Information On Attempted Escape

We are learning a little more about the inmate that jumped out of a Cocke County \courtroom window Monday attempting to escape. Michael Dean Smith had been wanted for several charges in Waynesville, NC. A Waynesville detective had contacted Cocke County authorities last week stating they had reliable information that Smith was staying in the KOA Campground in Newport at site #118. Smith was in possession of .4 grams of methamphetamine when he was arrested by Cocke County deputies after a brief struggle. Methamphetamine possession was one of the charges that Smith was facing in Waynesville along with violating an order of protection and ironically two counts of felony evading. Smith jumped out a second story window of the Cocke County Courthouse Monday afternoon trying to escape. He was airlifted to the UT Medical Center in Knoxville where they determined his injuries were not serious. He faces attempted escape charges in Cocke County.