Olympic snowboarder Shaun White arrested

NASHVILLE, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Olympic gold medalist Shaun White has been charged with public intoxication and vandalism following an incident at a Nashville hotel, police said.

Metro police were called to the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel after someone pulled a fire alarm forcing the evacuation of the building, The (Nashville) Tennessean reported Tuesday.

Police said a hotel employee told them he saw White destroy a hotel telephone.

They said the gold medalist appeared intoxicated and smelled of alcohol.

Another person told police the snowboarder turned around and ran into him when he tried to prevent White from leaving the hotel in a cab.

White fell back and hit his head, ending up at a hospital where he was treated and released.

He was arrested and later released on his own recognizance.

White won gold medals in the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics in the snowboard halfpipe event.