A strange day of calls involving the same man ended with an arrest after deputies say he spent the afternoon wandering the county, arguing with a road crew, predicting his own arrest, and eventually stripping down to bathe in a mud puddle.
The first encounter happened during a road resurfacing project.
A deputy on patrol noticed a man walking up to a crew of highway workers and engaging them in what appeared to be an increasingly heated conversation.
Judging by the workers’ body language, the deputy decided it was time to intervene.
The man, identified as Arnold Anderson, was wearing heavy winter clothing despite temperatures already reaching around 70 degrees on a June morning.
According to the report, Anderson was dressed in an insulated coat, bib overalls, boots, a hat, and a long-sleeve flannel shirt.
When the deputy asked what was going on, Anderson explained he was upset because the road crew’s trucks were idling.
He claimed the exhaust fumes were making it difficult for him to breathe and said he had confronted the workers about polluting the air.
The workers reportedly wanted no part of the argument and simply asked to be left alone so they could continue working.
The deputy noted Anderson appeared to be under the influence of something but found no outstanding warrants.
The conversation only became stranger from there.
According to the report, Anderson told the deputy he expected officers would probably receive more calls about him before the day was over.
Then he reportedly suggested he would need to be arrested before the day ended because he “owed” law enforcement a crime he hadn’t committed yet.
When the deputy asked what he meant, Anderson reportedly launched into a discussion about wanting to become sheriff someday and wanting the current sheriff’s badge.
He then added that if President Donald Trump could become president, he believed he could become sheriff.
The deputy offered to call an ambulance after Anderson repeatedly complained about breathing problems, but he refused medical treatment.
Instead, he accepted a bottle of water and some ice before continuing on foot.
Several hours later, the calls started rolling in.
Multiple residents reported seeing a man removing his clothing and bathing in a mud puddle near a roadway.
Deputies responded and quickly found discarded clothing, including boots, a coat, a hat, and a flannel shirt.
The trail led toward a nearby creek bed.
When deputies located Anderson, he had a bottle containing what appeared to be creek water mixed with berries, peanuts, and other items he had collected while wandering.
When asked what he was doing, Anderson reportedly explained that he had been picking wild berries and collecting trash.
Deputies conducted a pat-down for weapons and took him into custody without incident.
The incident occurred in the Rome Township area.
Anderson was transported to the Lawrence County Jail and booked on a disorderly conduct charge related to intoxication.
Why Extreme Heat and Intoxication Can Be a Dangerous Combination
While investigators did not specify what substance they believed Anderson was under the influence of, erratic behavior, confusion, unusual clothing choices, and poor decision-making are all common warning signs of intoxication or a mental health crisis.
Experts warn that wearing heavy winter clothing during warm weather can increase the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.
Combined with substance use, those risks can become even more serious.
In this case, deputies first encountered a man concerned about air pollution from road crews.
A few hours later, they found themselves responding to reports of someone bathing in a mud puddle and wandering near a creek.
It was, by any measure, an unusual day.
