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Written by: E. George
Published October 18, 2024 @ 2:20 PM ET
COBB COUNTY, Ga. – Newly obtained body camera footage from the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office has drawn public scrutiny after it showed deputies assisting Sheriff Craig Owens, Sr. after he called them for assistance after a local Burger King allegedly got his food order wrong. This incident has sparked discussions among voters who will participate in the impending election about the appropriateness of such actions by law enforcement officials.
The videos, obtained by Channel 2 Action News, show deputies approaching Sheriff Owens, who was parked in his truck at a Burger King on Veterans Memorial Highway in Mableton on March 4, 2023. Owens was evidently displeased with a recent order, stating, “Hey, do me a favor. I need to get – all I need is the owner name of whoever owns this damn facility or the manager.” He elaborated on his order, claiming, “I wanted her [passenger] a Whopper, no mayo, cut in half, right?”
The sheriff’s demand for the name of the restaurant owner and his subsequent frustration over the order has raised eyebrows. “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 asserted.
The deputies, tasked with assisting the sheriff, approached the restaurant but found employees locked inside out of fear. One deputy reassured the assistant manager, stating, “Nobody is in trouble; we just want to get some names.” He added that a report wouldn’t even be filed, clarifying that the sheriff was merely seeking information for a complaint about his food.
One deputy relayed to the sheriff that the employees had locked the doors because they were concerned about their safety, noting that there had been previous incidents where “angry customers have escalated to stalking.”
Once the deputy obtains the name of the manager and the company that owns the Burger King restaurant, he brings it back to the sheriff who is still seated in his vehicle. The deputy proceeds to tell the sheriff that the employees are fearful. The sheriff laughs and says, “You didn’t tell them who I was, did you?” The deputy responds, “No. I just told him it was the guy out in the truck.”
The incident began circulating on social media after Owens’ opponent in the upcoming election, David Cavender, shared the video online. Cavender, currently serving with the Cobb County Police Department, did not comment on camera due to his duties but expressed his disapproval of the sheriff’s actions. He described the scenario as “an abuse of power” and a misuse of resources, criticizing the potential danger posed by deputies responding with lights and sirens for a personal complaint.
Cavender’s chosen chief deputy, Mike Dondelinger, echoed these sentiments, stating, “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.”
In response to the growing criticism, Sheriff Owens defended his actions, characterizing the situation as a business dispute that any citizen could report. He maintained that he was not in uniform at the time and did not identify himself as law enforcement during his interaction with the restaurant staff.
Owens stated, “At no point did I indicate my position, nor did I ask the responders to do anything that they would not, had not, or have not done for anyone else who makes a business dispute call.”
Sheriff Owens also criticized the politicization of the incident, asserting that his leadership efforts should not be overshadowed by this issue. “To our citizens and residents, it is clear that I need to work harder, and I pledge to do so,” he concluded, also expressing remorse for any distraction his actions may have caused.