COLUMBIA — A man who spent nearly three hours perched inside a Columbia power plant smokestack was arrested following a joint rescue and negotiation operation Wednesday morning.
Richard D. Nichols, 33, is facing charges of second-degree burglary, obstructing government operations and second-degree property damage, according to Boone County Prosecuting Attorney Roger Johnson.
First responders rushed to the municipal power plant at 1501 Business Loop 70 East, near the Opportunity Campus, around 6:30 a.m. after a 911 caller reported a trespasser.
Police said security cameras caught Nichols entering the secure property by jumping the fence and climbing the south tower. City Communications Director Christopher Ave said officials are still investigating how he bypassed perimeter security.
Richard D. Nichols
Columbia Fire Department Chief Brian Schaeffer said Nichols climbed about 150 feet up the tower, perching inside a circular telecommunications structure midway up the stack. Schaeffer noted the man was barefoot and acting erratically, throwing objects down at responders below. Police said he was seen leaning out of a tower window and waving his arms.
"Anything that he could find inside ... midway up the smokestack: things like tools, toolboxes, rope, you name it," Schaeffer said. "The first priority was to establish an area around the work site so that we didn't have to worry about falling debris."
Officers attempted to communicate with Nichols over loudspeaker for about two hours, according to the news release. High-angle rescue crews staged ropes and medical contingencies on the platform in case a forced extraction became necessary.
After nearly three hours, the man agreed to climb down on his own. Schaeffer noted that exhaustion, the intense heat and the confined space likely led to his compliance.
A trespasser who climbed the tower at Columbia Municipal Power Plant prompted a large emergency presence at the facility on Wednesday morning.
The man was put in handcuffs and suffered no known injuries, according to the Police Department.
According to online court records, Nichols has previous criminal charges in Missouri, including trespassing, fourth-degree assault, theft and misusing 911.
Over 50 first responders, including firefighters, police officers, SWAT operators and special rescue technicians, responded to the scene.
"We didn't know if he was armed," Schaeffer said. "We didn't know what his intentions were. Waiting, trying to communicate and letting the situation evolve with time was the best course of action."
City officials confirmed the tower stands approximately 300 feet tall, with the telecommunications platform positioned about halfway up.
The structure is no longer in active operational use for power generation. It originally released exhaust when the plant burned coal to produce electricity, a practice the city of Columbia discontinued in 2015.
Officials confirmed there was no broader threat to the surrounding community.