Georgia Sheriff Calls Deputies to Fast Food Restaurant Over Order Mix-Up

A Cobb County sheriff in Georgia summoned deputies to a Burger King after becoming frustrated with a mishap in his order, FOX News reports.

Sheriff Craig Owens made the call on March 4, 2023, at the fast food location on Veterans Memorial Highway in Mableton.

Body camera footage obtained by WSB-TV revealed that Owens, who is running for re-election, expressed his anger over the situation. He requested the names of the owner or manager of the establishment in an effort to lodge a complaint.

Three deputies responded to the scene with sirens activated, approaching Owens in his truck, where he was parked in the restaurant’s lot.

“I need to get, all I need is the owner name of whoever owns this damn facility or the manager,” Owens,Dressed casually and not in uniform, asked a deputy.

Owens continued to explain the issue with his order.

“I wanted her [to get his female passenger] a Whopper, no mayo, cut in half, right? I don’t need no damn money back no more. I just need to find out who owns this place so I can do an official complaint,” he said.

The deputies attempted to enter the restaurant, but employees had locked the doors out of concern. After some persuasion, the staff allowed the deputies inside.

“Nobody is in trouble, we just want to get some names,” One deputy reassured them.

The deputy added that no report would be filed regarding the incident.

After obtaining the manager’s name and the company’s information, the deputies returned to Owens. One deputy informed him that the employees were anxious due to previous incidents where confrontations with angry customers escalated. Owens laughed and asked if the employees were aware of his identity.

Owens is facing criticism from his election opponent, David Cavender, who shared the footage on Facebook and accused the sheriff of misusing his authority. Mike Dondelinger, a potential chief deputy under Cavender, condemned the incident as an abuse of power, arguing that it wasted resources and placed citizens at risk.

Dondelinger expressed disbelief at the sheriff’s actions.

“I’m shocked the sheriff feels so flippant about this issue that he would have deputies run lights and sirens, placing citizens at risk and his deputies at risk, just so he could get information from a business owner that clearly could have been followed up on another day,” he said.

In defense of his actions, Sheriff Owens stated that he was involved in a business dispute that any citizen could pursue. He emphasized that he was not in uniform and did not identify himself as a law enforcement officer during the encounter. He further claimed that the incident is being politicized during an election year.

Owens reiterated his commitment to building trust within the community.

“To our citizens and residents, it is clear that I need to work harder, and I pledge to do so,” he said.

“Anything that takes away from that mission is a distraction, and for that, I am deeply sorry.” Owens concluded.