New York Times best-selling novelist William Bernhardt found himself in a stranger-than-fiction scenario on his home turf of Tulsa recently.
According to a Tulsa World report, the novelist of several legal thrillers was pulled over the morning of Feb. 23 by police after his vehicle hit the curb twice, and then twice more before finally coming to a stop.
Bernhardt was thrown to the ground after not exiting the vehicle as ordered, resulting in bruises that make him look not unlike facially scarred soul singer Seal. In his defense, Bernhardt said he was trying to retrieve his iPod, which had fallen between the seats of his Land Rover, when the cops removed him.
Chicken-Fried News acknowledges the value of an iPod, but certainly Bernhardt recognizes authorities might have thought he was reaching for some other hardware?
He was arrested on complaints of driving under the influence and resisting arrest, and, according to The Associated Press, was released the next morning after posting bail to the tune of $504, which would buy you 19 copies of his latest book, "Capitol Threat." The Tulsa World article noted that "at the time of his arrest, Bernhardt had a strong odor of alcohol, poor balance and bloodshot eyes, and his shoes were on the wrong feet."
Perhaps he was conducting research for a new suspenser whose protagonist faces a conspiracy so shadowy and sinister, it makes him dizzy, thereby hampering his ability to make sound footwear decisions?
