Suspected thief who police say sparked deadly shooting indicted in passenger’s death

An Irving man who didn't fire a shot but is accused of sparking a deadly shooting after he was caught breaking into a pickup has been indicted in connection with the fatal shooting of his passenger.

Officials have said the pickup's owner caught Casey Aaron Smith, 30, inside his pickup in November in a Fort Worth parking garage and tried to detain Smith for police at gunpoint. Instead, police say, Smith bailed out of the truck and opened the door of a nearby car, prompting the pickup owner to believe he was reaching for a gun.

The pickup owner opened fire but it was Smith's passenger, 55-year-old Steve Huckaby, who was hit in the torso and later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Smith has told homicide investigators that he had picked up Huckaby at a homeless camp in south Fort Worth to give him a ride to a location near Dallas as a favor. He insisted that Huckaby was not involved in his attempt to steal the pickup, according to Fort Worth homicide Detective Matt Anderson.

“He was adamant talking to us that Steven had nothing to do with this,” Anderson said.

On March 23, a Tarrant County grand jury indicted Smith on a charge of criminally negligent homicide in connection with Huckaby's death.

Indictment details

The indictment alleges that Smith took Steven Huckaby to a location to steal from a vehicle at night, and then caused Huckaby’s death by attempting to flee from the crime scene knowing that an armed individual was attempting to detain him.

Criminally negligent homicide is a state-jail felony punishable by 180 days to 2 years in state jail.

The pickup driver was not arrested. The grand jury determined that the pickup owner will not face criminal charges in connection with the shooting.

Under Texas law, a person is justified in using deadly force against another to protect land or tangible, movable property when they reasonably believe such force is necessary to prevent the imminent commission of arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery or theft or criminal mischief at night.

Deadly force can also be justified under Texas law to prevent a person who is fleeing immediately after committing burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery or theft during the night from escaping with the property when the person using deadly force reasonably believes the property cannot be recovered by another means, or that a lesser type of force would expose the person or another to substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury.

The shooting

Anderson said he believes Smith and Huckaby had just met on the day of the shooting.

Anderson said that before driving Huckaby to his destination, Smith made a detour and headed to the parking garage of the Lincoln Park at Trinity Bluff apartments. There, police allege Smith broke into the pickup, apparently with the intent of stealing it.

Police found damage to the truck’s steering column, Anderson said.

The pickup’s owner and his girlfriend were walking to the pickup, parked on the top floor of the parking garage in the 500 block of Samuels Avenue, when they noticed Smith in the truck.

Police have said the truck’s owner grabbed his gun, opened the driver’s side door and ordered, “Don’t move. I’m going to call the police.”

But Smith, police have said, bailed out of the truck and opened the driver-side door of a car parked next to the truck. Believing he was reaching for a weapon and fearing for his life, police say, the truck owner fired shots toward the suspect.

The car pulled out of the parking space, then abruptly stopped again, prompting the truck owner to fire again.

Police say Smith then drove off, arriving at Texas Health Huguley Hospital Fort Worth South about 20 minutes later with a fatally injured Huckaby.

A friend of the Huckaby family has said Huckaby was a disabled Marine Corp veteran who suffered from severe post-traumatic stress disorder, which resulted in him becoming homeless.

Smith is currently free on a $7,500 bond, court records show.

Dallas County criminal records show Smith has multiple convictions for attempted burglary, burglary, forgery and theft.

Kenneth Mullen, Smith's court-appointed attorney, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

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This story was originally published April 4, 2018 at 2:01 PM with the headline "Suspected thief who police say sparked deadly shooting indicted in passenger’s death."