Jan Michael Vincent

Actor Jan-Michael Vincent was briefly handcuffed and taken into custody Tuesday morning, then posted bail to await a Sept. 14 trial on alleged probation violations stemming from a January arrest for public drunkenness. The former star of the 1980s television show "Airwolf" appeared at the South Justice Center in Laguna Niguel before Superior Court Judge Gail Andler just four days before his 56th birthday after he failed to show up for a regularly scheduled hearing last month.

Actor Jan-Michael Vincent, the blue-eyed bad-boy star of the 1978 cult surfing movie "Big Wednesday" and numerous other films and made-for-TV movies, will have a new role Friday as grand marshal of the city's New Year's Eve party at Van Nuys Airport. Vincent, 54, was once the most highly paid actor in television, earning $250,000 a week for his lead role in the popular CBS television series "Airwolf" in the 1980s. But despite his professional success, his personal life foundered.

Actor Jan-Michael Vincent, the blue-eyed bad-boy star of the 1978 cult surfing movie "Big Wednesday" and numerous films and TV movies, will have a new role Friday as grand marshal of the city's New Year's Eve party at Van Nuys Airport. Vincent, 54, was once one of the most highly paid actors in television, earning $250,000 a week for his lead role in the CBS series "Airwolf" in the 1980s. But despite his professional success, his personal life foundered.

Traffic investigators said Tuesday that actor Jan-Michael Vincent, whose driver's license was suspended because of an alcohol-related accident two years ago, may have been intoxicated when his car rammed into his girlfriend's vehicle Monday. Investigators would not disclose why they suspect Vincent, 52, best known for his lead role in the television series "Airwolf," of drunk driving, or say how fast he was driving in the accident that left him hospitalized with a broken neck. "What we can say is that it is being investigated as an alcohol-related accident," Sheriff's Lt. Ron Wilkerson said.

Actor Jan-Michael Vincent was found innocent Tuesday of a misdemeanor battery charge involving a brawl at a cocktail lounge. A Malibu Municipal Court jury acquitted the star of the CBS television series "Airwolf" of the charge stemming from a fight in a Malibu restaurant. A man hit by the actor was seriously injured in the dispute last June.

Glenn Ford plays an aging policeman not unlike himself in "Raw Nerve," a murder-mystery being filmed in coastal Alabama. The character, Capt. Gavin, is "just as much like me as possible, I guess. I can't play roles which require me to be someone other than myself," the 74-year-old Canadian-born actor said. Ford said it takes "real nerve" for him to appear before the camera. "I never wanted to be an actor," he said. "I just got lucky." "Raw Nerve" is expected to be released in about a year.

A helicopter used in the television series "Airwolf" crashed about 11:02 a.m. today near Canyon Country, killing a stunt man and injuring the pilot, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported. The stunt man was identified as Reid Rondell. The pilot, Scott Maher, was apparently was thrown clear of the copter and survived. He was taken to Henry Mayo Hospital in Valencia, where a spokeswoman said he was in stable condition.