BEDFORD — A Paoli man was arrested Wednesday afternoon after Bedford police responding to a welfare check encountered an aggressive individual who resisted officers outside a 13th Street residence.
Andrew W. Lee, 45, was arrested on August 12th by Bedford Police officers. He faces preliminary charges of disorderly conduct and resisting law enforcement.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Bedford Police Officer Stuart Ratcliff, dispatch received a call around 1:54 p.m. requesting a welfare check at a home located in the 1400 block of 13th Street. The caller reported concern for a relative due to a male inside the house acting destructively.
Upon arriving at the scene, Officer Ratcliff spoke on the front porch with the homeowner’s girlfriend. She reported that her son, identified as Lee, had been yelling and slamming items inside the home, though no property was damaged. While taking the report, the officer could hear Lee continuing to shout from inside the residence.
According to court documents, Lee emerged from the house holding an alcoholic beverage and began shouting at Officer Ratcliff in a belligerent and incoherent manner.
When Officer Ratcliff asked Lee to return inside so he could finish speaking with family members, Lee refused and continued approaching the officer aggressively. Officer Ratcliff warned Lee to step back or face detainment, to which Lee demanded to be handcuffed.
As the officer placed Lee in handcuffs and began escorting him to a patrol vehicle, Lee tensed up and turned toward the officer. Officers took Lee to the ground to gain control, and assisting officers arrived at the scene to help secure him.
Following his detainment, Lee took a preliminary breath test (PBT), which indicated a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.136%.
The homeowner’s girlfriend informed officers that Lee was staying overnight at her home. She noted that Lee has a diagnosis of schizophrenia, had been drinking vodka since at least 10:00 a.m., and became agitated when she refused to buy him additional alcohol. She confirmed Lee had not been physical toward anyone inside the residence before police arrived.
Lee was transported to the Lawrence County Jail for booking and housing in the custody of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
