A Georgia man called 911 claiming a medical emergency, then police say it was all to avoid paying for dinner

Police in Georgia say a man pretended to need emergency medical care and dialed 911 so he could leave a Red Lobster without settling a $63.77 dinner tab, according to People. The man, 26, named in the affidavit as Abdul Hakeem Rasheed, is accused of reporting a false medical emergency during a meal at the restaurant on Sept. 24. The outlet obtained the document.

The affidavit alleges that Rasheed displayed “unlawful conduct” during the call “by deception and with intent to avoid payment.” Jail records the outlet reviewed show he was booked on Sept. 25, facing a theft-of-services count and an unlawful-conduct count tied to the 911 call. The outlet said it had sought responses from the police department and the restaurant chain.

The restaurant is on Georgia Highway 5 in Douglasville, in Douglas County, according to the Douglas County Sentinel, which cited documents from the Douglasville Police Department. That report said police determined the call was false and meant to help him leave without paying.

Bond status and Georgia law

Accounts of his custody status differ. People cited a $3,000 bond and said he remained in jail, while the local paper reported a $4,500 bond and said he had been released. Georgia’s theft-of-services law, Georgia Code § 16-8-5, reads: “A person commits the offense of theft of services when by deception and with the intent to avoid payment he knowingly obtains services, accommodations, entertainment, or the use of personal property which is available only for compensation.” The wording in the affidavit closely mirrors that statute.

The state’s penalty section, Georgia Code § 16-8-12, says a person convicted under the theft-of-services section “shall be punished as for a misdemeanor” with listed exceptions. The exceptions that carry prison terms apply to property worth $1,500.01 or more and to certain repeat theft convictions. The bill here was far below that figure.

A separate law, Georgia Code § 16-11-39.2, addresses misuse of 911 calls. One listed act reads: “Calls or otherwise contacts 911 and makes a false report.” Another is contacting 911 “for the purpose of interfering with or disrupting emergency telephone service.” The section also lists using “obscene, vulgar, or profane language” to intimidate or harass a 911 communications officer.

Those provisions are separate from the false-report paragraph. A violation of the section is a misdemeanor, punishable by “a fine of not more than $500.00 or 12 months in jail, or both.” The reports reviewed do not say which provision of that law Rasheed is accused of violating. An arrest and an affidavit are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.