A trip to Red Lobster ended with a call to 911, but police say the emergency was not what it initially appeared to be.
Abdul Hakeem Rasheed, 26, called 911 from the restaurant on Highway 5 in Douglasville after running into trouble with a bill of about $63, WSB-TV reported. The station, citing Douglasville police, said Rasheed presented the situation as a medical emergency.
When officers arrived, however, police determined Rasheed was OK. According to WSB-TV’s account, officers believed the call was an attempt to avoid paying for the meal.
The strategy did not erase the restaurant bill. It instead ended with Rasheed going to jail.
The Check Arrives
Another local report from the Douglas County Sentinel also covered the arrest, with subsequent reporting indicating the newspaper reviewed arrest warrants connected to the case.
The reported bill was $63.77.
Douglas County jail records provide a clearer picture of what happened after the encounter. Rasheed was booked into the county jail on Sept. 25.
Two Charges
The jail record lists two charges against Rasheed: theft of services under Georgia Code § 16-8-5 and unlawful conduct during a 911 call under § 16-11-39.2(b)(1).
The record lists a $1,500 bond on the theft-of-services charge and a $3,000 bond on the 911 charge, for a combined $4,500.
WSB-TV’s report also described “making a false report” as a charge. The Douglas County jail entry supplied for Rasheed, however, lists only the two statutory charges above, so those are the charges reflected here.
Rasheed is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.