PROCTOR, MN — A Minnesota man was arrested after an encounter with police that was captured on video and later tied to multiple traffic-related accusations in St. Louis County Jail records. The booking for 22-year-old Eric Daniel Smith followed an incident that included a felony probable-cause hold for fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, along with other alleged driving offenses.
Carlton County Fire News shared the footage and Smith’s jail information. The video shows officers taking Smith into custody, while the jail roster lists accusations involving fleeing, DWI-related conduct, careless driving and speeding. Smith was booked shortly after midnight on Sept. 13 and was later released two days afterward.
Video shows officers surrounding Smith in the roadway
The clip posted by Carlton County Fire News appears to show the end of the arrest. In the video, Smith is lying on his back in the middle of the road with his arms stretched out while police vehicles surround him.
Two officers then move in, lift him up and walk him toward a nearby squad vehicle. A person recording the scene says, “He’s got his gun out,” apparently referring to one of the officers involved. The camera then shifts to what appears to be a white truck, though that vehicle was not confirmed.
The recording also captures someone asking, “Did the truck crash into something?” Another person replies that they did not think so. Officers can then be heard telling anyone else who may have been in the vehicle to step out and identify themselves, while the officers hold guns.
Jail records list fleeing, DWI refusal and careless driving
According to the St. Louis County Jail roster, Smith’s booking included a felony probable-cause hold for fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle. The record also includes a gross misdemeanor for refusing to submit to chemical testing in a DWI investigation.
Additional entries list a misdemeanor DUI of alcohol offense, misdemeanor careless driving and a petty misdemeanor for exceeding the speed limit. The roster classifies the refusal to submit to chemical testing as a remand rather than a probable-cause hold.
The available records do not say how fast Smith was driving, whether police obtained a blood-alcohol reading, or whether any chemical test produced a result. What is clear from the jail information is that the DWI-related entry centers on refusal rather than a measured test outcome.
What is known about the arrest and what remains unclear
The jail record confirms Smith was booked at about 12:11 a.m. on Sept. 13. It does not say what first prompted police to stop or follow him, how long the alleged flight lasted, or where the chase and arrest took place.
Carlton County Fire News said it received the footage and posted it along with Smith’s mugshot and information drawn from the county jail roster. The outlet described the video as showing the conclusion of the arrest and highlighted the combination of fleeing and DWI-related accusations.
Because the Proctor Police Department has not provided additional details in the available information, the sequence before the video begins remains unclear. The record only shows the encounter ended with Smith in custody and facing several traffic-related allegations.
Smith was held without bail before release two days later
Smith’s jail record originally showed him being held without bail after the Sept. 13 booking. Updated information later showed he was released from the St. Louis County Jail at about 5:54 p.m. on Sept. 15, a little more than two days after being taken in.
The roster entries show the case moved quickly through its early custody stage, but the accusations remain allegations. Smith is presumed innocent unless and until guilt is proven in court.
For now, the available public records mainly document the arrest itself, the charges or holds attached to the booking, and the short period Smith spent in custody before release.
Why the case drew attention online
The arrest drew attention because the video gives a clear look at the final moments of the police encounter. Viewers can see officers surrounding Smith, lifting him from the roadway and escorting him into a police vehicle while the scene unfolds under tense circumstances.
Carlton County Fire News presented the clip as a look at the end of the arrest, paired with the jail roster information that followed. That combination made the incident stand out beyond a routine booking notice, especially with the felony fleeing hold and the DWI refusal entry listed alongside it.
Even so, the public record remains limited to the arrest footage and the county jail information. The underlying reason for the police contact and the details of any pursuit have not been made public in the available material.
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