Domestic violence charges against son of Speedway Motorsports CEO Bruton Smith dropped

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Domestic violence charges against the CEO of a Fortune 500 company based in Charlotte have been dropped months after he was arrested.

David Bruton Smith is CEO of Sonic Automotive and the son of Speedway Motorsports CEO Bruton Smith.

According to police reports, the 46-year-old was accused of strangling and holding a 22-year-old woman against her will at his home on Carmel Park Road in south Charlotte.

Police said Smith held his hands around the victim’s neck and squeezed for 15 to 20 seconds. They also said he knocked two phones out of her hand when she tried to call her dad for help.

When police arrived, they said the woman was having trouble breathing, had red marks on her neck and had some scratches and bruises. She was treated at the scene and is expected to be OK, according to police reports.

Smith was arrested and charged with assault by strangulation, assault on a female and false imprisonment in October 2020.

Smith’s lawyer George Laughrun told Eyewitness News anchor Allison Latos the charges were dismissed last Friday.

This isn’t Smith’s first time being accused of a violent crime. He was charged with assault and battery in 2001.

Smith was elected as the Chief Executive Officer of Sonic in Sept. 2018 and also serves as a director and an officer of Sonic Financial Corporation, according to Sonic Automotive.

After the charges were initially filed against Smith, Channel 9 reached out to Sonic Automotive officials for comment. They said they were aware of the allegations and were gathering information. They then sent another statement expressing support for Smith.

Official statement from Sonic Automotive, per a company spokesperson:

“The Board of Directors of Sonic Automotive remains steadfast in its support of our CEO, David Smith. We believe in David’s leadership, honesty and transparency, which he has demonstrated throughout his tenure as Chief Executive Officer and over 20 years of service to the Company. David has informed the Board that he is innocent of these charges and expects to be fully exonerated.”

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