'The Office' Star David Koechner Arrested for Reported DUI on New Year's Eve

Actor David Koechner was arrested for suspected driving under the influence on New Year's Eve. Koechner was reportedly arrested around 3 p.m. Friday in Simi Valley, California. Koechner is best known for his roles in the Anchorman movies and The Office.

After his arrest, Koechner was booked into Ventura County at 5 p.m. PT, reports TMZ. His vehicle was towed by authorities. Law enforcement sources told TMZ they responded to a call for an erratic driver, and a patrolling officer found Koechner behind the wheel. He reportedly hit a street sign before he was pulled over. The actor allegedly failed field sobriety tests.

Koechner was released around 5 a.m. PT Saturday morning. TMZ later published photos of Koechner at a gas station Sunday morning. His car had damage on the passenger side, but it is not clear if the damage was caused during the incident Friday. Koechner does not have any prior arrests for DUI, at least in California, according to TMZ.

Koechner, 59, is best known for playing rambunctious and wild characters like sportscaster Champ Kind in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. He also starred as Michael Scott's inappropriate friend Todd Packer in The Office. Koechner's other credits include Get Smart, The Goldbergs, F Is For Family, The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants, Drunk History, Another Period, Twin Peaks, Regular Show, and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

The comedian has not commented on his DUI. He is scheduled to start a stand-up tour on Jan. 6 in Rochester, New York, and has dates planned through May. It's not clear if his DUI arrest will impact the tour. He made headlines in January 2020 after he filed for divorce from his wife of 22 years, Leigh Koechner. They share five children, Charlie, Margot, Sargent, Audrey, and Eve.

There has been buzz about a revival or reboot of The Office for years, considering the show's ongoing popularity. In August 2021, NBCU content chief Susan Rovner told Deadline the only way that would happen is if original series showrunner Greg Daniels wanted to do it. Although The Office was an adaptation of Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais' original U.K. series, Daniels was credited with successfully bringing the format to the U.S. NBCUniversal's Peacock spent $500 million to get the streaming rights for the show back following its successful run on Netflix.