A Minnesota man’s encounter with police ended with his arrest, captured on video, and several traffic-related accusations waiting for him at the St. Louis County Jail. Jail records show 22-year-old Eric Daniel Smith was booked after an incident involving accusations of fleeing police in a vehicle, refusing chemical testing, and careless driving.
Video shared by Carlton County Fire News shows the moment Smith was taken into custody by the Proctor Police Department. The outlet said it received the footage and subsequently shared it alongside Smith’s mugshot and information from the county jail roster.
Smith was booked into the St. Louis County Jail at approximately 12:11 a.m. on September 13. The available information does not detail what prompted police to initially encounter Smith, how long he is accused of fleeing, or where the pursuit and arrest occurred.
The jail roster does, however, list a felony probable-cause hold for fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle. Smith’s remaining entries include accusations involving DWI, careless driving, and speeding.
A Wild Video
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In the video, you can see Smith lying on his back in the middle of the road with his arms stretched out while police vehicles surround him. Two officers then come, pick him up, and lead him into a nearby police vehicle.
One of the people who was recording commented, “He’s got his gun out,” in reference to one of the arresting officers. Then, the camera turns to what appears to be Smith’s white truck, but it was not confirmed.
The person recording then says, “Did the truck crash into something?” to which another person responded that he didn’t think so. Almost immediately, the officers can be heard asking others who might be in the vehicle to also step out and make themselves known, all while holding guns in their hands.
Jail Roster Lists Dwi Refusal and Additional DUI Entry
One of Smith’s jail entries involves refusing to submit to chemical testing in connection with a DWI investigation. The roster classifies that offense as a gross misdemeanor and lists it as a remand rather than a probable-cause hold.
The roster additionally lists a misdemeanor DUI of alcohol entry and misdemeanor careless driving. A separate entry accuses Smith of exceeding the speed limit and classifies that offense as a petty misdemeanor.
The available records do not specify Smith’s speed, provide a blood-alcohol concentration, or state that chemical testing produced a result. Instead, the DWI-related information provided specifically includes an accusation that Smith refused to submit to chemical testing.
Smith Released From Jail 2 Days After Booking
Smith’s jail record initially listed him as being held without bail following his September 13 booking. Updated information shows he was released from the St. Louis County Jail at approximately 5:54 p.m. on September 15, a little more than two days after being booked.
Carlton County Fire News described the footage as capturing the conclusion of Smith’s arrest and highlighted the combination of fleeing and DWI-related accusations. The video provides a look at the arrest itself, while the available information does not include additional details from the Proctor Police Department about what happened before the camera started recording.
Smith faces a felony fleeing accusation alongside the DWI and other traffic-related entries appearing on the jail roster. The charges remain accusations, and Smith is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.