A Portsmouth man was arrested twice in less than 24 hours, once for driving under the influence of intoxicants and a second time when he went after a police officer with a baseball bat, according to police.

According to reports from the Portsmouth Police Department, 37-year-old Robert Reed was arrested around noon on Tuesday following a minor fender bender after he hit a car stopped at a stop sign at the intersection of Gallia and John streets. The officer noticed Reed's speech was “very confused” and he had a difficult time explaining what happened. Reed told the officer that he was taking Xanax and Hydrocodone.

Reed was charged with operating a vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants and not maintaining assured clear distance from the vehicle in front of him.

Around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, police were impounding Reed's car because of expired tags. Reed came out of his house and started yelling at the police, officers said.

The police report stated that Reed threatened to fight the officer if he would take off his badge and gun. Reed was told to go back inside before he was arrested. Instead, Reed got out a black baseball bat and went after the officer. Officer Conrad Nagel used a TASER on Reed, which shoots 50,000 volts of electricity into the central nervous system of person, but to no effect.

Reed swung at the officer and missed so he threw the bat at the officer and hit him in the leg, then it hit the tow truck and broke, according to the reports.

Reed then went into his house, “yelling he was going to get a shotgun and kill officers.”

Police officers forced their way into the house and scuffled with Reed in his kitchen before getting him in custody, they said.

Reed was charged with first-degree felony assault on a police officer and with misdemeanor resisting arrest.

MARK SHAFFER can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 235.