Columbus man arrested for 20th time in 2012

A Columbus man has been arrested for the 20th time this year.

Joseph L. Nichols, 46, 2743 Streamside Drive, faces misdemeanor charges of public intoxication and resisting arrest after being accused of roaming California Street drunk late Tuesday night.

It was his 16th alcohol-related arrest of the year, Columbus Police Department spokesman Lt. Matt Myers said. The other four arrests were for outstanding warrants.

Police responded to the call from someone who suspected that vehicles were being broken into in the 1100 block of California Street. CPD officer Toby Combest responded and found what he called an “extremely intoxicated” Nichols who matched the caller’s description.

“(Nichols) admitted to the officer that he’d been drinking for two days straight,” Myers said.

Myers said Nichols was unable to perform sobriety tests at the scene of the incident. When Combest attempted to arrest Nichols for public intoxication, he reportedly created resistance by pulling his hand away from the officer.

Nichols was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital and released.

Myers said the issue of repeat offenders needs to be addressed by the community.

“This is one example,” Myers said. “We just continue to put a Band-Aid on it when it continues to be a problem.”

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