NEWS: Police Taser Man at Chuck E. Cheese

o.p. by somebody who knows what they are talking about
I would think they could take this guys address and send him a bill. Who knows? He might have paid before eating and just refused to be shook-down by the manager.

Yes, the manager is at fault here. With over 20 years F&B experience, I can tell you this may be the worst example of management handling a difficult situation I have ever heard about. The last thing you do is call the cops in a sit like this. If the manager doesn't have the skills to handle this sit w/o calling in the cops, he doesn't qualify for the job, imo.

To the broader issues addressed by this thread. I have noticed recently, since the UNC incident at least, that a crackdown seems to be underway among local law enforcement. I can tell you that I have seen more police activity in my vicinity in the last several days than I have in the last several months. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just seems the police are on heightened alert across the board, and it is inviting overkill to ask them to mediate a salad dispute.

As to the fascist nature of our country lately, it is a top down scenario, and awareness of the threat is growing to the point that the people truly affected, the good people that make up this great nation's backbone, are becoming motivated to make it stop. I can only hope we are able to make a peaceful transition to accountability, and more suitable representation from our federal government.

Grady, you are at it again, in rare form, and the spume now has the consistency of beaten egg whites. Are you trying to take Scott McClellan's job? Really an incredible job of espousing the party line there.

I've had the salad at Chuck E. Cheese, and if they guy had a plate then it's pretty obvious that he paid for the salad because they don't just have plates sitting out on the side--you only get a plate to use the salad bar if you pay for it.

Either way I don't like Tasers. They are like playing Russian Roulette with people's life. Disobeying the police is not cause for execution. (I say that as a person that has been know to yell at the police when they pull me over. It's a wonder I haven't been tasered...I kinda know when to shut up though). At any rate the police shouldn't be allowed to run around shocking people when they don't even know if it's going to actually kill them. Tasers have killed people. It's not safe and that should be the end of that...but NOOOOO...just give the police the right to execute people on the street for disobeying their wack orders. And please believe going outside with those cops would've been a bone head move or just imagine if the taser killed this guy...what a messed up way to die...on the sticky floor of the frickin Chucky E. Cheese.

If I was the guy and I paid for that crappy salad bar aint no way I would've paid for it again and if the manager called the police I would've told them the same thing. Who steals salad? Come on? Tis like five or six dollars and if you ever actually ate at Chucky Cheese you know that aint even 5% of what you done spent of pizza, soda, and coins.

[edit on 9-3-2006 by Saphronia]

Once again I see an example of someone being defended for acting like a fool. According to the article:

Police talked to the Chuck E. Cheese manager, who told them that a customer had refused to show proof that he had paid for food. The manager said the man was seen "loading" his plate at the salad bar.

Now, instead of asking why the man refused to show proof of purchase, you want to fast forward until he refused to follow the police's order, which was a request at that point. Totally ignore everything that occurred in between. Why? Because now that it has turned into a real incident, complete with physical contact, it can be shoe-horned into your ridiculous allegations of police brutality and a fascist state.

The customer brought it upon himself. What makes him so damned special that he doesn't have to follow common decorum? He is a lousy example of a father, also, if he permits his kids to witness this.

There must be something in the drinking water in Aurora, CO. It seems to have more than it's share of appearances in the news these days.

No, the manager brought it on him, imo.

Again, I just don't see how CCE will benefit from having this happen. It was a bad move on the part of the manager. At the very most the guy could eat that last plate, and then leave, and you tell him if he comes back, you will call the police, or sic Chucky on him or something.

It seems like folks are just way too willing to cause problems for each other these days, to bring unnecessary consequences for contrived infractions. Its some kind of a 'chip on the shoulder','I'll show you' mentality and it leads to lots of confrontations. It ends up being a big waste of time and energy. Its not worth it.

Originally posted by Icarus Rising
No, the manager brought it on him, imo.

The manager was doing his job. If you interpret that as bringing it on, then it still doesn't excuse the cutomer from producing a receipt.

It seems like folks are just way too willing to cause problems for each other these days, to bring unnecessary consequences for contrived infractions. Its some kind of a 'chip on the shoulder','I'll show you' mentality and it leads to lots of confrontations. It ends up being a big waste of time and energy. Its not worth it.

The customer could have acted maturely, and realized that the manager was just doing his job. Yet, he decided to take the low road and refused to produce a receipt. Strike one.

Then, when the cops asked him to step outside, he refused their request. Strike two.

Then he decided to struggle with the police. Strike three.

Could the manager have handled it differently? Yes, but he was under no obligation to do so.

I don't understand why people are so eager to proclaim this guy as an innocent victim. Of police brutality in a fascist state yet. It is cut and dried. Until and unless the customer can explain his actions, the case is closed, imo.

I probably have a different attitude on this subject than most people. My opinion is I am not obligated to step outside at the request of an officer. Last I checked he/she wasn't my superior. Either he/she can discuss the issue with me where I stand or he/she can leave. Or they can arrest me for some made up charge. I think too many of them have let the badge go to their heads. But forgetting that I have to ask why was the manager approaching this man? I'm a former Cheese customer. I say former because the food is terrible and it is way over priced. We have alternatives here to that rat race. Anyway I have never seen a manager approach anyone at a store. So why did he approach this man? Did they possibly see him steal a plate? Was there a personal reason to badger this customer? Why did the customer behave in this way? Did he steal the plate and became defensive when caught? Or was he defensive because the manager was being a jerk and harassing him? If the manager was pestering this customer for personal reasons I hope this customer gets a good lawyer. And if the police can't provide proof that force was justified including the assault against the customer I hope he goes after them as well.

Well, I guess you don't have to respond to a request, but it just shows against you, imo. First you were uncooperative with the manager, now you're being uncooperative with the police.

It has already been stated why the manager approached the customer.

Why did the customer behave the way he did, i.e., refuse to produce a receipt? That is the best question you've asked, and one I've asked several times. A question that nobody wants to address, because there is no excuse for his actions.

It's much easier for them to turn this into an anti-Bush, anti-USA bombast.