2 men arrested after traffic stop

Two men are in jail after officers stopped their car for loud muffler noise and speeding.

The driver, Andrew Wathan, 18, of Bloomington, was arrested on previously held warrants for contributing to the delinquency of a minor and public nudity, said Bloomington Police Department Sgt. Jeff Canada, reading from a police report. A passenger, Andrew M. Kirk, 42, of Bristol, Ind., was arrested on charges of public intoxication, resisting law enforcement and battering a police officer.

Officers Randy Gehlhausen and Josefa Madrigal stopped Wathan at about 9 p.m. Monday near 10th and Dunn streets because of the car’s high speed and loud muffler, Canada said. Gehlhausen conducted a background check on Wathan and found he had a suspended license and two warrants out for his arrest. Wathan was arrested and placed in the back of the police car.

Gehlhausen and Madrigal then saw Kirk, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, yelling at a woman in the back seat, Canada said. Kirk was found to have a warrant out for parole violation, and appeared to be intoxicated. Gehlhausen tried to talk Kirk into taking a sobriety test and Kirk became argumentative, Canada said.

Kirk agreed to do part of the sobriety test and then stopped cooperating. He took off running, and when Gehlhausen caught up to him, Kirk head-butted him in the face, Canada said. After a struggle, Kirk was arrested.

Officers released the female passenger and the car was towed due to a stolen expiration sticker, Canada said.