Anchorman Star David Koechner Was Just Charged For A Serious Crime

Known best for his role in the "Anchorman" films as the overly boisterous Champ Kind, complete with a silly catchphrase, David Koechner is now experiencing a very different kind of "whammy" — one that does not reflect well on his personal record.

Since his breakout performances, Koechner's social media has been a space of promoting conversations about improv, posting shoutouts for his Cameo, sharing silly snapshots, and announcing comedy tour dates. Most fans are familiar with his acting rather than seeing him live, but with a background in working with Second City, "Saturday Night Live," and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," his focus on stand-up has been fueling his fire. "I'm enjoying what I'm doing now," Koechner told The Spokesman-Review. "Unlike a lot of people who do this, I didn't start out as a standup. I was an actor first, but I love the connection and immediacy performing in front of an audience."

He points out Abbott and Costello and the Marx Brothers as comedy heroes, which definitely feel like small cores of inspiration for his loud, zany, and highly inappropriate characters, like Champ and Todd Packer of "The Office." He told INDY Week in 2015, "I'm sure people see me coming and go, 'Oh Lord, here comes that mess.' I'm the polar opposite, really." Unfortunately, it seems some wild antics and erratic behavior are stemming into his real life and recently landed him in some hot water. With an arrest at the end of 2021, charges are now being made against the actor.

Three months following David Koechner's arrest on New Year's Eve, the actor has been officially charged with one count of DUI and one count of hit-and-run. The Ventura County District Attorney's office shared the update with TMZ, and the case will be headed to court in the coming weeks. As the publication previously reported, Koechner was arrested with suspicion of driving under the influence when failing a sobriety test after allegedly driving erratically and hitting a stop sign with his vehicle.

The arrest prompted Koechner's ex-wife to request suspension of his visitation with their children and urge for sobriety safeguards. According to Radar Online, she claims he has struggled with drugs and alcohol "for over seven years and was previously involved in two car accidents with the Minor children where he was under the influence." Koechner objected to these allegations and clarified, "My recent stop for an alleged DUI did not occur with any of our children in my custody ... I would never do anything to jeopardize the health and safety of our children."

Each count of the charges could result in up to six months of jail time, however, TMZ noted that first-time offenders typically receive probation and must attend an alcohol awareness and education course. Koechner is seemingly continuing his slate of comedy tour dates for now with little other commentary on his current legal issues.