The arrest of an intoxicated bike rider ended up taking a lot of police travel time, even though the arrest was made a few yards from the county jail.
Orange Patrol Officer Dylan Jinks reported he went to the 100 block of Border Street about 7 Wednesday morning because of a complaint about a bicyclist in the roadway who looked intoxicated.
Jinks said the man could not stand or make complete sentences. The officer said the man appeared intoxicated on methamphetamine and the man admitted to using the drug.
The man had no one to take care of him, so going with police policy, Jinks arrested him for public intoxication. The charge is a Class C misdemeanor that carries only a fine.
However, Orange County Jail would not book the 40-year-old man unless he had medical clearance. The police officer then drove the man to the Southeast Texas Medical Center in Port Arthur. After the man was checked by medical personnel, the officer drove him back to the Orange County Jail.
The trips with arrested people who may have a medical problem are routine for police because Orange County does not have a hospital.
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