Anthony Smith has pleaded not guilty.
Facing four felony charges, Smith entered the plea Monday as he elected for a written arraignment rather than making an in-person appearance, according to court records MMA Junkie acquired from Sarpy County (Neb.). MMA Fighting first reported the plea.
Smith, 38, initially faced three felonies: including terrostic threats (one count) and false imprisonment (two counts). The state has also charged Smith with attempt of a class 1/1A/1B/1C/1D felony.
According to the attorney's office, Smith is accused of threatening to kill his wife if she did not go home with him following an altercation at a bar in Gretna, Neb., after which he grabbed her and pushed her into the vehicle. The attorney's office further alleges
that investigators concluded Smith tried multiple times to hit his wife with the vehicle when she escaped during the drive, but that she was able to maneuver out of the way and avoid physical harm. A warrant was issued, and Smith later turned himself in, according to officials.
Smith is currently out on $45,000 bail. According to a report from KETV Omaha, Smith has been permitted to travel out of the country and compete in a professional sporting event in the Dominican Republic in late September-early October (presumably Gamebred MMA).
A status hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 21. Smith has been ordered to be present for the hearing.
While Smith has yet to speak out since his July 27 arrest, his wife has. Via Smith's manager, Brian Butler, of SuckerPunch Entertainment, Mikhala Smith issued the following statement.
"There's not a lot I can say right now," she wrote. "I love Anthony with every ounce of my being! He is a good man, a great dad, and an incredible husband who loves us endlessly. Anyone that knows him can attest to that. They made a mental health struggle into something it wasn't. I am safe and always was safe. He would never hurt me. Ever. I called for help to protect him from himself."
While it was not in the attorney's office statement, courtroom video by KETV7 of his initial hearing captured discussion between the parties of reports of gunshots coming from the home and Smith allegedly threatening to kill himself.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Anthony Smith pleads not guilty to charges stemming from recent arrest
