Criminal charges have been filed against a suspect who allegedly jumped a fence this week before climbing 150 feet into the air at the stack of Columbia’s municipal power plant on the Business Loop.
33-year-old Richard Dean Nichols is currently jailed without bond, and the court has banned him from being on the premises of any city of Columbia property. Boone County prosecutors have charged Nichols with felony burglary and with two misdemeanors: obstructing government operations and property damage.
The Columbia Police Department’s two-page probable cause statement says Nichols told police he went inside the power plant because he wanted “to have fun.” Court documents say Nichols placed first responders at risk because they “were required to get onto the roof of the power plant to safely (rescue) Nichols from the structure.”
Court documents describe Nichols, who is homeless, as a flight risk with a criminal history from three different counties. He is currently on probation.
CPD says no critical infrastructure was damaged during the incident.