OKEECHOBEE — A 55-year-old Okeechobee man was arrested Tuesday night after he reportedly caused a disturbance in the emergency room at Raulerson hospital twice in the same evening.

Robert Lewis Lineberry, Northeast Third Street, was charged with disorderly intoxication in a public place on July 23 and later released on a $500 bond.

Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Cpl. Bryan Lowe and Deputy Matthew Huffman were dispatched to the hospital emergency room at approximately 8 p.m. in response to a call about an intoxicated man causing a disturbance. Cpl. Lowe noted, when they arrived, he heard a male voice yelling and cursing at emergency room staff and found Robert Lewis Lineberry being combative with the staff who were trying to evaluate him. Cpl. Lowe also noticed a strong odor of alcohol coming from Lineberry, which became stronger as he spoke. As Cpl. Lowe attempted to calm Lineberry, he reportedly became more and more verbally abusive with both the staff of the hospital and with law enforcement.

Lineberry was discharged and Deputy Huffman transported him to Douglas Park where he claimed to live. He agreed he would go inside and go to sleep.

At approximately 9:15 p.m., the sheriff’s office received a 911 call regarding a white male lying in the street, holding his chest, on Northeast 13th Avenue. When Okeechobee County Fire Rescue responded, the man was identified as Robert Lineberry, and he was transported back to Raulerson. Because he was reportedly abusive to the EMS personnel, they requested a deputy meet them at the hospital.

Cpl. Lowe noted Lineberry appeared to be even more intoxicated than before and continued to be verbally abusive, making idle threats to kill the nurses even while deputies were standing nearby. After his discharge, he was cuffed with his hands behind his back for safety, but during transport managed to move his hands to the front. Once at the jail, he had an encounter with jail staff and was subdued with chemical spray. He was held until a judge set his bond at his first appearance.