BEDFORD – An Oolitic man was arrested after Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to a call on July 5 at 10:40 p.m. about a male lying on the side of Indian Creek Camp Road.
The caller had not stopped to check on the male, who was wearing a white tank top and blue jeans.
Sgt. Whitney Daugherty-Anderson and deputies C. Pruett and C. James responded and found 37-year-old Michael Collins stumbling east on Indian Creek Camp Road.
Collins told the officers he was headed home to Oolitic. He admitted to being intoxicated, and he needed a ride home.
Police had been alerted earlier in the day that Collins had left his home in Oolitic in his brother-in-law’s vehicle without permission and was possibly headed to Reuter Lane in Springville. The male decided not to report the car stolen but was going to file paperwork preventing Collins from returning to their home.
Police asked Collins if he had crashed the vehicle and where it was. He said he could not remember but that it could be in the 800 block of Reuter Lane or somewhere on Greer Lane.
Collins became disorderly and argumentative with first responders, officers, and EMS who arrived on the scene. He continued saying he only wanted to go home. He refused medical attention.
Collins was warned numerous times to calm down, but he refused and had to be placed in handcuffs and placed in the back of a patrol car.
Collins continued to scream in the back of the police car. An officer removed Collins from the back of the vehicle and adjusted his handcuffs.
Deputy James then went to find the vehicle. He found it in the 100 block of Greer Lane. That homeowner told police they didn’t know who the car belonged to or why it was parked in their driveway. The owner was contacted and came to retrieve the vehicle.
Collins continued to yell profanities. He slipped his hands from behind his back to the front and was banging his handcuffs and head on the window.
He was again taken out of the police car in an attempt to keep Collins from hurting himself. He was placed back in the patrol car and transported to IU Bedford Hospital because he had suffered a cut over his eye from banging his head on the window.
While at the hospital, Collins continued to yell profanities and kicked a metal table. IU Health Police assisted in putting Collins back into handcuffs. Collins continued to struggle and pulled away from the officers. While attempting to restrain Collins, he kicked Deputy Pruett.
After being medically cleared, he was transported to jail on charges of public intoxication, battery against a public safety official, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.
