Videos Of Defiant Gym Owner Ian Smith’s DWI Arrest In Cinnaminson Released

CINNAMINSON TOWNSHIP, NJ — Bodycam and dashcam video taken the night that defiant gym owner and Congressional candidate Ian Smith was arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated appear to show him swerving into other lanes, taking several field sobriety tests and resisting several procedures while in police custody.

Patch had filed an Open Public Records Act with Cinnaminson Township to receive the video and paperwork related to Smith’s arrest.

One of the videos shows a police car following Smith’s car on Route 130 in the area of Pandora Diner in the early morning hours of March 27. Parts of this video show Smith’s truck appear to swerve into other lanes and ultimately being pulled over.

Another video, also recorded in the early morning hours of March 27, appears to show a Cinnaminson Township Police Officer conducting several field sobriety tests as other township police officers look on.

At the end of the tests, the police officer explains to Smith he is being arrested, handcuffs him and explains he will be taken into custody for driving while intoxicated and to undergo a breathalyzer test.

“You’re taking me into custody and I didn’t fail anything,” Smith says.

“The state of New Jersey does it based on our observations,” one of the police officers responds.

“What observations?” Smith asks.

“From your eyes, from your walk and turn and then from your one leg test,” one of the officers on the scene replies.

“I’m not trying to make any trouble,” Smith said at several points during the videos, and at one point he mentions he stepped out of his car “willingly.”

Smith notes that these tests were conducted alongside a “windy road.” When one of the officers points out that one of the law enforcement officials on the scene passed the same test right before Smith took it, Smith responds by saying law enforcement officials had training.

Smith continued to ask questions on the way while being transported to the police department, such as if the police officer was paid to do “what he’s doing right now.”

“Never,” the officer responds.

“You know I am a Congressional candidate in this district, right?” Smith asks a few moments later. The officer’s response is undecipherable.

The paperwork related to the arrest was completed by an officer identified as Harry Cicale and indicates he detected alcohol on Smith’s breath after pulling him over and that Smith’s eyes were “bloodshot and watery.”

The paperwork continues that “Mr. Smith did advised [sic] he had a drink at a bar in Collingswood and was driving to Delanco. I conducted sfst's (editor’s note, this presumably stands for several field sobriety tests) on Mr. Smith to which he failed. He was taken into custody and brought back to police headquarters where he refused to provide breath samples.”

The paperwork continues that “Mr. Smith was uncooperative during his entire time back at police headquarters and was released to a sober third party. Vehicle was towed in accordance to Johns law [sic]. **Mr. Smith would not cooperate during the photograph process and refused to move his head**."

No videos of what happened after Smith arrived for the breathalyzer test and before he was sent home with a sober driver have been released.

Smith is scheduled to appear in Cinnaminson Municipal Court on the charges stemming from his March 27 arrest later this month.

Smith's campaign consultant, Steve Kush, in a statement that was posted on the Twitter account of a Smith supporter shortly after Smith’s arrest stated that "being charged with an offense and actually committing an offense are two entirely different things. Ian Smith was not driving drunk. Ian Smith is innocent.”

Kush also tweeted that "Ian will be vindicated" when he appears in court.

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