Man reported to be high on nitrous oxide held at gunpoint by local property owner

Authorities say a late-night disturbance outside a residence on County Road 511 escalated into a tense standoff involving a firearm, alleged drug use and an uncooperative suspect, ultimately leading to the arrest of Colin Zimmer, 26, of Noble.

According to a probable cause statement filed by Ozark County Deputy Josh Sherman, deputies were dispatched at 10:38 p.m. May 2 after a woman reported her ex-boyfriend was sitting in a truck outside her home, allegedly under the influence of nitrous oxide and had been harassing her. She initially told dispatchers she did not wish to pursue charges but wanted law enforcement to have him leave the area.

Before deputies arrived, the situation intensified when the caller reported that another woman, who held ownership interest in the property but did not reside there, had arrived at the home and was holding Zimmer at gunpoint while he remained in the vehicle.

When the officers arrived on scene, they found the woman pointing a handgun at the driver’s side of Zimmer’s white Chevy four-door truck with the woman standing at an “angled frontal position,” to the vehicle. Deputy Sherman detained the woman and secured the firearm for officer safety, while Deputy Ryan instructed Zimmer to exit the truck. He refused to comply and physically resisted when Deputy Ryan attempted to remove him from the vehicle, the report says. 

Deputy Sherman told the detained woman to sit on the ground, and he went to help Deputy Ryan with Zimmer. After a few minutes of physical resistance and failure to comply with the officers’ orders, Zimmer was “removed from the vehicle and taken to the ground,” the report says. Deputy Ryan then readied himself to engage the use of pepper spray if the situation continued to escalate, but Zimmer began to comply. However, after a few minutes, that changed, and he refused to get on the ground to allow him to be securely detained. He was placed under arrest shortly afterward without further incident. 

Deputy Ryan conducted a search of Zimmer’s person and a subsequent search of the vehicle after it was towed for obstructing the roadway. The officer detailed the items found inside, which included several used nitrous oxide canisters, a firearm in the center console of the vehicle and a prescription bottle containing Suboxone, which was prescribed in the name of his ex-girlfriend, the report says.

Officers spoke with the woman, who reportedly told them that she did not give Zimmer permission to possess or take the Suboxone pills prescribed to her. She said they had been left in her purse. She told the officers that she would cooperate with the investigation as a victim of theft of the prescription drug, but she was uncertain at the time whether she wanted to pursue formal charges. She said she would contact the sheriff’s office at a later date with a decision. 

The report says that during the incident Zimmer displayed clear signs of intoxication including slurred speech, bloodshot and watery eyes and a strong chemical odor consistent with inhalant or solvent use emanating from him.

He was arrested and transported to the Ozark County Jail, where he was placed on a 24-hour investigative hold pending formal charges. Those came the next morning, and he was kept in jail on a $10,000 cash only bond. He was scheduled for arraignment Tuesday. Details of that hearing were not available at presstime. 

He is charged with possession of a controlled substance (Saboxone), stealing a controlled substance (Saboxone), unlawful use of a weapon (for possessing a weapon and a felony-level controlled substance at the same time), intentionally inhaling fumes of any solvents (Nitrous oxide), resisting arrest, peace disturbance (for parking his vehicle on county road in front of ex-girlfriend’s house, partially obstructing the road and refusing to move his vehicle) and failure to move vehicle which was obstructing flow of traffic.