Ex-'Scandal' Star Columbus Short Arrested for Public Intoxication

The incident is the latest in a series of legal woes for the actor

Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty

Columbus Short was arrested for public intoxication Friday in Dallas, Texas, police confirm to PEOPLE.

The former Scandal star was booked after allegedly fighting with security at a local bar called Katy Trail Ice House, according to an employee.

A worker says the bar employs off-duty police officers, and Short, 31, “got into an issue” with them at about 2 a.m. Saturday.

“He was uncooperative with police,” the employee says. “It was a minor issue. He was verbally assaulting the police.”

Short’s lawyer and manager did not immediately return requests for comment.

The incident is the actor’s latest brush with the law. Short, who will not appear in the hit ABC show’s fourth season, faces a spousal battery case stemming from his estranged wife’s claims that he threatened to kill her in April. He also pleaded not guilty to felony battery in May after allegedly punching a man in a restaurant.

The victim is suing Short for $1 million and filed papers in L.A. on Monday alleging he was knocked unconscious by an “unwarranted and cowardly ‘sucker punch,’ ” according to Entertainment Weekly.

In April, Short told PEOPLE he was using his legal issues as motivation for his music career.

“To be honest with you, I m feeling raw, focused, vulnerable and in a perfect place to write great music,” he said. “God’s been preparing me for a long time to deal with this season of my life. Being able to have thick skin is something that is needed.”

• Reporting by ELAINE ARADILLAS