Indecent exposure suspect arrested after assault on Greenville officer

A man suspected of indecent exposure at a Greenville department store assaulted an officer during an arrest attempt on June 29, the Greenville Police Department reported.

Officers responded to a report of a man masturbating inside Target, 3040 Evans St., about 3:50 p.m., the department said. He left the store, located in University Commons shopping center, and was last seen walking toward the nearby Harris Teeter. He entered a silver Nissan sedan and drove away.

An officer spotted the car at Evans Street and Arlington Boulevard, the department reported. The officer pulled the car over on Arlington just west of the intersection.

During the stop, the driver rolled up his window and trapped the officer’s arm before attempting to drive away, the department said. The officer was able to free his arm before the man drove away at a high rate of speed.

Officers followed the car north on Hooker Road to the area of Ione and May streets. They eventually located him hiding under a trailer in a stretch of woods near Moore's Body Shop on Ione Street.

The man was identified as Dontes Steven Smallwood, 32, who the department said is homeless. He was arrested without further incident.

He was charged with felony indecent exposure, assault on a law enforcement officer inflicting physical injury, felony flee to elude arrest, resisting a public officer and possession of up to ½ ounce of marijuana.