Suspect's girlfriend charged in trooper shooting

Durham, N.C. — Durham police have arrested the pregnant girlfriend of a man accused of shooting a North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper.

Lyndsey Smith, 21, of Durham, was charged Wednesday afternoon with accessory after the fact to assault with a deadly weapon and harboring a fugitive. She was placed in the Durham County jail under a $1.5 million bond.

Police say Smith picked up her boyfriend, Mikel Edward Brady, after the shooting and helped him evade authorities.

Brady, 23, of 800 White Pine Drive, allegedly shot Trooper Michael L. Potts in his hands, right shoulder and the right side of his face during a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 70 near Cheek Road in Durham Monday evening.

He fled the scene in a black Nissan Maxima and then ditched that car behind a Mexican restaurant on North Roxboro Street, where Smith came to get him.

Brady, 23, who is from Randolph, Vt., was arrested Tuesday at an apartment complex in Raleigh and charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.

He was in the Durham County jail Wednesday under an $8 million bond as well as a $2.5 million bond on a felony absconder charge in Vermont.

At her home earlier Wednesday, before her arrest, Smith said she didn't want to comment on the case.

Potts was listed in fair condition Wednesday at Duke University Hospital.

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Latest Comments

ohforpete - " She has been running with this kid for years"

And you know this how???

Iak Hsehpen
February 27, 2013 5:59 p.m.

"poor gilr". No way. She has been running with this kid for years. The apt. in Raleigh belongs to a friend of theirs. This girl was in fact raised this way. Nobody here in Central VT wants these two back here. Please NC, do what VT couldn't and put them away for a long time.

ohforpetessake
February 21, 2013 2:49 p.m.

"poor girl,cute kid and looks like DJ......if she was any other race but white yall would be putting her in jail for life but since she is white, she gets alot of sympathy" CeeLo

Replied to this earlier, obviously WRAL censorship didn't like what I said. Regardless, didn't take long for the race card to find it's way into a conversation dealing with a state trooper being shot and a fugitive being hidden by his pregnant girlfriend, and stated nothing regarding race, ethnicity, creed, religion, etc. I hope the trooper recovers and they throw the shooter in prison for a long time. LEO's have a tough job and I, for one, am appreciative of their work. That said, Cee-Lo, racism goes both ways and I think you're the one we should worry about. Kinda like the pot calling the kettle...well, nevermind...

Longshanks
February 21, 2013 11:17 a.m.

Oh poor girl...Please Im glad they arrested her lock her up too so sick of people she isnt an innocent party she knew who she was hanging around....Tired of the it was the way they were raised or the situation. Im just upset the suspect is still alive... golfin69

Wow! Obviously, the UNC logo you use for your Avitar isn't because you graduated with a degree in 3rd grade grammar. If you're gonna slam someone, have your kids proof it read prior to hitting the "add comment" button.

more cowbell
February 21, 2013 10:58 a.m.

It's highly likely that he did not tell her WHY he was running and hiding, but surely she knew that 'he was running and hiding' from something. Surely she helped him go and buy the hair color and help him dye his hair that night, so she's far from innocent, but mostly guilty of being highly stupid...and not just on THAT night.