Pixabay A man stands with his armed handcuffed behind his back.
Over the weekend, a former contestant from “The Bachelorette” ran into some legal trouble. James McCoy Taylor, who originally appeared on JoJo Fletcher’s season, was arrested in College Station, Texas, and show fans had plenty to say about what went down.
Taylor was arrested on September 10, 2022, and charged with driving while intoxicated and unlawful carrying of a weapon, according to Brazos County Jail records viewed by Heavy. Taylor, a Katy resident who smiled in his mugshot, was released on the same day on $6,000 bond, records show. Taylor was arrested by the College Station Police Department, according to the jail records.
Here’s what you need to know:
Taylor Ran Into Trouble in a Parking Garage, Police Say
Brazos County JailFormer “Bachelorette” contestant James McCoy Taylor, pictured in his booking photo, was arrested in College Station, Texas, Brazos County jail records show.
According to KBTX, the former “Bachelorette” contestant was arrested on September 10. Police reports from the incident indicate an off-duty police officer who was working at the garage approached Taylor around 2:45 a.m. while he was in the Northgate Parking Garage, the news station reports. The off-duty Blinn College officer who approached the former “Bachelorette” contestant said Taylor had urinated in the garage as he stood near his pickup truck, according to KBTX.
The officer told the former “Bachelorette” star not to urinate near his truck and “further advised James not to drive the Ford F150,” the 2012 pickup truck near him, according to KBTX. The probable cause statement obtained by the news station detailed that Taylor told the officer he would find another way home. However, Taylor waited a few minutes and then returned to his truck and drove away from the garage, according to police.
After that, the College Station Police were alerted, and they approached Taylor as he drove toward the garage exit gate, according to the report. Taylor told police he was just moving his truck in search of a cellphone signal, and the officer reached into the truck to turn it off while telling Taylor to step out of the truck, according to the police report.
Taylor Wasn’t Alone When Confronted by Police, Officers Said in His Arrest Report
Taylor had slurred speech and glassy eyes, and he swayed as he stood while smelling of alcohol, according to the police report obtained by KBTX. “The Bachelorette” star told the officer he had been drinking for several hours earlier in the evening, the report said. In addition, the arrest report noted Taylor had a “college freshman companion” in the passenger seat of his truck. He explained he was taking her to her dorm room, and the officer noted the 18-year-old student was “not in any kind of condition to appraise the benefits and risks of the situation she was in,” KBTX reported.
The 35-year-old was described as verbally abusive toward the officer, threatening to press charges and get the officer fired while calling him “an idiot,” according to KBTX. The officer also found a handgun in the pocket of the driver’s side door, which is illegal in Texas when another criminal offense is being committed, police said.
So far, Taylor has not commented publicly on the incident. On Sunday, he posted a short Instagram story with a selfie he snapped where he tagged a friend and noted it was a “great Sunday.” He may not have addressed the situation yet, but “The Bachelorette” fans had plenty to say about the incident.
“Everything about this is so unsurprising. What a scumbag,” one “Bachelorette” fan noted on Reddit.
“This dude has given me serious ick since his appearance on Jojo’s season and it just keeps getting worse,” added another show fan.
“Hopefully the police got that girl to her dorm safe and soundly. That’s super scary, especially for a brand new freshman,” commented someone else.
“An 18 year old?! Wow he really made so many gross choices in one night,” detailed another critic.