Billy Craft

Name:
Craft, Billy Joe

Date of Booking:
01/28/2025

Reason(s) For Booking:
Disorderly Conduct

Refusal to leave premises when requested

Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]

On 01-28-25 at approximately 1942 hours, I was dispatched to 7 E. May St, Winder, GA 30680 (Burger King) in reference to someone refusing to leave. The caller stated a white male with a beard would not leave the restaurant and was yelling and screaming at staff members. The caller advised they believed the male was homeless. The caller also advised the male was threatening to fight staff members. Central Dispatch advised they could hear the male yelling and cursing in the background while on the phone with the caller. I traveled CODE 3 (lights and sirens activated) to the scene.

Before my arrival, dispatch advised me that BCSO deputies were on the scene.

Upon arrival, I observed Mr. Billy Craft standing outside the restaurant speaking with the deputies. I know Billy from having to go to a surplus of calls involving him throughout last year and this year. The calls have ranged from him being a suspicious person to trespassing, mental problems, welfare checks, and a meeting in person. While the deputies stood by with Billy, I went inside to speak with the complainant.

Ms. [VICTIM #1] advised Billy has constantly gone into the restaurant begging for food and trying to get the staff to call for an ambulance on several occasions. [VICTIM #1] stated she told Billy she and the staff were no longer going to continue calling for him but advised he could use the phone to call for himself. She said after she told Billy that, he began yelling and cussing at her and the staff. [VICTIM #1] said that’s when she and the staff started telling Billy to get out of the restaurant and leave. [VICTIM #1] advised Billy told her and the staff he was going to “beat the breaks off of them” and that he is homeless, so he does not care. [VICTIM #1] advised Billy kept yelling and would not leave. [VICTIM #1] advised she wanted Billy to be trespassed from the property. [VICTIM #1] is one of the managers at Burger King.

I then back outside to Billy and instructed him to stand up and put his hands behind his back. I then placed Billy in handcuffs behind his checking for proper fit and double locked. I escorted Billy to the front of my patrol vehicle and advised him he was under arrest for refusal to leave and disorderly conduct. I also advised Billy he was criminally trespassed from the property. I then searched Billy incident to arrest for weapons, contraband, and means of escape, with negative findings. Billy was then placed in the back of my patrol vehicle and secured with the lap and shoulder belt.

I then transported Billy to the Barrow County Detention Center and turned him, his personal property, and the citations I issued over to the jail staff.

Billy’s trespass warning has been entered into LERMS.

[End of Narrative]