A Louisiana man is accused of creating a problem in a Cracker Barrel parking lot and then charging the person affected to make it disappear. Shreveport Police say Don Cook Jr. placed a boot on a customer’s truck before demanding $100 to remove it.
There was one significant problem with the arrangement, according to police. Management at the Cracker Barrel on Westport Avenue told investigators that neither Cook nor his business, Louisiana Traffic Services LLC, had authorization to boot vehicles on the property.
Police did not specify when the encounter with the truck owner occurred or explain how investigators were initially alerted to it. The department said Cook charged victims $100 to have the boots removed from their vehicles.
Investigators eventually obtained an arrest warrant for Cook in connection with the case. Members of the Shreveport Police Department’s Warrants Unit arrested him on October 1 and transported him to Shreveport City Jail without incident.
Cracker Barrel Says Booting Was Never Authorized
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According to police, Cook was found putting a boot on a customer’s truck at the Westport Avenue restaurant and then charging the owner $100 to remove it. The department described the arrangement rather simply: create the problem, then charge someone to fix it.
Restaurant management confirmed to investigators that Cook did not have permission to boot vehicles there. Police said the same applied to Louisiana Traffic Services LLC, the business they identified as belonging to Cook.
The department did not provide additional details about how many vehicles were booted or how many people paid Cook to have one removed. Its announcement referred to multiple “victims,” but did not specify the total number involved or how much money investigators believe Cook collected.
Police Get Their Turn To Give Cook a Ride
After investigators obtained the arrest warrant, the department’s Warrants Unit located Cook and took him into custody. Police said the arrest happened without incident before Cook was given a ride to Shreveport City Jail.
Shreveport Police had a little fun with the circumstances after announcing the arrest, writing that while Cook charged people $100 to free their vehicles, his own ride to jail was on the department. The release did not identify the specific charge filed against Cook or provide information about his bond or subsequent court proceedings.
Guessing Headlights searched Shreveport City Jail for additional documentation concerning Cook’s arrest, but the relevant public records were not available through that search. We have reached out to request those records, and until additional documentation is provided, the information released by Shreveport Police remains the basis for the details surrounding his arrest.