Ramike Smith could have been in jail for a gun rip – and was on a court-ordered mental health program when he got into a shootout with cops on Tuesday night.
The 25-year-old criminal wounded an employee in the melee and was shot in the head. He died at the hospital early Wednesday night.
A review of court records from The Post revealed that at the time, Smith was free after a gun attack in March 2020, despite a proposal by prosecutors to keep him on $ 50,000 bail.
Here’s a look at the case:
March 14, 2020:
Smith was seen jumping through a turnstile at the Coney Island subway station in Brooklyn. He runs away from cops and gets cuts on his legs when he jumps on the rails, records show.
He was arrested and charged with possession of a loaded .32 caliber pistol. The main charge is criminal possession of a second-degree weapon, which meets the conditions for bail even in the controversial measures for the reform of state criminal justice in 2019.
March 20, 2020:
Ramik Smith was shot dead Tuesday night after opening fire on two police officers in the Bronx. Natasha Ramos
The Brooklyn Grand Jury has charged Smith with a number of charges, including criminal possession of a third-degree weapon, criminal misconduct, reckless danger and resistance to arrest.
The reduced charge of the pistol stems from the fact that the bullets in the firearm were “inoperable”, according to records. This accusation is not subject to bail under state reforms.
August 19, 2020:
Smith is finally charged in the indictment. He was released without bail, records show.
October 8, 2020:
Police at the scene of the shooting in the Bronx, where police officer Denis Vargas was shot dead. William K. Lopez / NYPOST
Brooklyn prosecutors said they had asked for Smith to be held on $ 50,000 bail, citing a 2016 Staten Island robbery sentence for which he spent four months in prison and was sentenced to five years in prison.
The judge denied the request and allowed Smith to be released on bail.
December 21, 2021:
Smith pleaded guilty to two counts – criminal possession of a fourth-degree weapon, a crime and third-degree experience of criminal possession of a weapon, a class E crime.
As a condition of the plea deal, the felony charge will be dropped if Smith completes a two-year treatment program and goes through a mental health court as an alternative to imprisonment, according to court records.
His participation in the program would help determine his possible sentence.
May 4, 2022:
At a compliance hearing, a representative of the Brooklyn Mental Health Court said Judge Smith was “doing well” and was attending group and individual sessions in a mental health and addiction program, according to a transcript.
However, the representative suggested that Smith did not attend his personal toxicology tests.
“He told us that he drank less and minimized alcohol use, but part of his treatment plan was to provide toxicology so we could ensure that,” he said.
May 10, 2022:
New York City police officer Dennis Vargas is leaving the hospital after being injured in a shootout in the Bronx with Remic Smith. PBA
Smith was walking near Third Avenue and Claremont Parkway in the Bronx when two cops from the area’s public safety team spotted him with a gun around 10:45 p.m.
Smith fled the police, then turned onto Bathgate Avenue and fired two shots at the cops, hitting police officer Denis Vargas in the arms, police said.
His partner returns fire, hitting Smith. Smith, who was hit in the back of the head, was pronounced dead at St. Barnabas Hospital around 3:30 a.m., police said.
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