Senior staff writer

DURANT - A tree climber police say was drunk was arrested early Saturday morning after he climbed down the tree more than three hours later.

Durant Police were sent at 3:08 to a home in the 400 block of North Fourth Avenue about an intoxicated man in a tree. According to a report by Patrolman Brian Chavez, the man climbed a 30 foot Magnolia tree after drinking about 12 beers.

The man's wife said they had been arguing about his brother who fell out of the tree about two years ago, according to police.

Officers tried to persuade the man to come down but he would not, so the fire department was called for assistance. Firefighters arrived in the tower truck. Police Sgt. Billy Jones and Patrolman Brock Jones went up in the bucket to try to get the man down.

The report stated he continued to climb higher and threw small branches at the officers who returned to the ground for safety reasons. His sister began to climb the tree and said she was going to beat him up once she reached him. She climbed back down and officers arrested her because they learned from dispatch that she had three outstanding warrants.

Firefighters left at about 4:10, but two officers remained to wait for him to come down. The man had a cell phone and placed a couple of calls from the tree, according to police. He called one person and asked if he should surrender to police.

He also spoke to his wife over the phone, the report stated, and told her to drive around the block, and that if she is not followed, he would jump down and leave.

At about 6:40, the man climbed down, according to police, and officers ran after him. He entered the house and officers followed him because they were in pursuit.

He locked himself in a bathroom but came out several minutes later. He was arrested for assault and battery upon a police officer, and obstructing and resisting a police officer. The district attorney's office will be reviewing the report to determine charges.