What is officer obie?

Officer Obie is a character in Arlo Guthrie's song "Alice's Restaurant Massacree." He was a police officer in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where Guthrie was arrested for littering on Thanksgiving Day in 1965. Obie was responsible for investigating the incident and arresting Guthrie, who later used the event as inspiration for his popular song. Despite the arrest, Obie and Guthrie remained friends, and Obie even appeared in the 1969 movie adaptation of the song. Obie's real name was William J. Obanhein, and he passed away in 2005.