Troubled actor Columbus Short was arrested for public drunkenness during the Independence Day celebrations on Friday (04Jul14).

The former Scandal star was partying at a bar in Dallas, Texas when he got into a dispute with staff over his tab, according to TMZ.com.

Two off-duty cops intervened to break up the scuffle but when Short allegedly began screaming at them, he was arrested for public intoxication.

A source tells the website, "He was like a dog with a bone who wouldn't let it go."

Earlier this year (14), Short was arrested over a bar brawl in Los Angeles, and he has been held by police twice over domestic disputes with his estranged wife Tanee. She has since obtained a restraining order against the actor.