In an unusual incident that has sparked both online amusement and concern, a county sheriff summoned his deputies after receiving an incorrect order from a local Burger King.
What began as a routine fast-food stop in Cobb County, Georgia, in March of 2023 has turned into a much-discussed event after bodycam video footage of the incident was posted online on Friday by Sheriff Craig Owens’ opponent in the upcoming election, David Cavender.
The footage shows Owens, who is up for reelection this year, in his truck in the parking lot of a Burger King on Veterans Memorial Highway in Mableton, explaining to officers that after placing his order at the drive-thru, he had discovered that the meal he received was incorrect.
When he brought this to the attention of the restaurant, he was not happy with the response. Owens was not in uniform or his patrol car at the time, as reported by Fox News.
Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens pictured in bodycam footage uploaded to David Cavender’s Facebook account. Owens called his deputies to assist when Burger King gave him the wrong order on March 4, 2023.
Facebook/ Cavender for Cobb Sheriff/Facebook/ Cavender for Cobb Sheriff
Frustrated by the mistake and explanation, the sheriff called dispatch and requested the presence of law enforcement to assist in resolving the matter. Three deputies then arrived on the scene.
The video footage posted to Facebook shows the deputies arriving on the scene with sirens blaring and then the sheriff explaining the situation and instructing the officers to follow up with the store manager, saying he wants the name of whoever owns the facility so that he can make an official complaint.
Officers then attempted to enter the establishment. However, the doors had been locked by staff inside who were concerned for their safety, having previously dealt with disgruntled customers who they had found to be intimidating.
Once the deputies entered the restaurant, they spoke with the assistant manager who, according to the video, stated he was worried about the customer outside, not knowing he was a sheriffs. The officers then follow up with their chief once again in the parking lot.
Newsweek contacted Burger King on Monday via email for comment.
Those who have viewed the footage are debating online whether the sheriff’s actions were a misuse of power, or simply an overreaction to a trivial matter. Cavender claims the sheriff’s actions are “one example of how Cobb’s current sheriff abuses his position, wastes resources, and puts himself first.”
Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens in an official headshot from Cobb County. Footage of Owens from an incident at a Burger King in March last year has recently been posted online.
cobbsheriff.org
According to the Cobb County Sheriff Department’s official page, Owens has an exemplary record as “a law enforcement professional with more than 30 years of service to his local community and the United States military.”
Owens served as a command sergeant major in the Army Reserve, “the highest rank possible for an enlisted soldier, and led a division of 14,000 personnel across 34 states.”
The sheriff, who made history by becoming the first African-American elected to be sheriff of Cobb County, says the incident is being politicized in an attempt to win votes in the upcoming local election, as reported by WSB 2.
Newsweek contacted the Sheriff’s office and Cavender on Monday via email for comment.
