2nd arrest made in connection with murder of 24-year-old in west Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A man wanted in connection with the murder of 24-year-old Demontray Rhodes was arrested Friday after a SWAT standoff.

Deandre Smithers, 20, was wanted on an active arrest warrant for the March 16 shooting of Rhodes at South 12th and West Hill streets, according to officer Beth Ruoff, a spokesperson for the Louisville Metro Police Department.

Ruoff said officers were in the Park Hill neighborhood around noon Friday when they saw Smithers, who fled into a nearby apartment. "Due to the violent nature of the arrest warrant," Ruoff said, SWAT and the Hostage Negotiating Team were called to the scene.

"The HNT attempted numerous times to communicate in order for Smithers to voluntarily surrender," Ruoff said. "SWAT was utilized and Smithers was taken into custody without incident on the arrest warrant for homicide."

According to an arrest citation, Smithers was in a vehicle when he was spotted by the officers, who were on regular patrol in the area. They followed him down South 12th Street to Brashear Drive, near the Parkway Place apartments, and initiated a stop, where Smithers took off on foot through the property and into an apartment. The citation says he had been banned from Louisville Metro Housing Authority (LMHA), which is located on Brashear Drive, and was "trespassing on the property."

Smithers is the second man to be arrested for Rhodes' murder. Deric Burns, 21, was arrested and charged with murder last month. According to Burns' arrest citation, authorities claimed Burns' car was seen on an LMPD Real Time Crime Center camera leaving the area of the shooting with four other defendants inside the vehicle.

Officers found Rhodes shot multiple times near the intersection of South 12th and West Hill streets around 6:30 p.m. on March 16, according to a statement from LMPD at the time. He was taken to University of Louisville Hospital in critical condition and was pronounced dead just after 7 p.m., according to the Jefferson County Coroner's Office.

The day after the shooting, authorities found Burns and his car, and Burns allegedly admitted to being in the area of the shooting at the time it occurred, according to his arrest report.

This story may be updated.

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