A body camera video showing officers helping the Cobb County sheriff with a mistaken fast food order began capturing voters’ attention Friday.
“The video definitely convinced me,” said Sophia Farook.
Channel 2 Action News obtained three body camera videos from the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.
Each photo shows a deputy responding to the Burger King on Veterans Memorial Highway in Mableton on March 4, 2023.
In the videos, the officers approach Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens Sr. in his truck parked in the parking lot.
He says to one of them, “Hey, do me a favor. I need it, all I need is the name of the owner of this damn facility or the manager.
‘I wanted her [passenger] a Whopper, no mayo, cut in half, right? Owens said.
The deputies listened as he said, “I don’t need any more damn money. I just need to find out who owns this place so I can file an official complaint.”
They don’t ask why the sheriff couldn’t get the information himself.
They approach the doors of the restaurant.
The employees had locked themselves inside.
They open the doors for the three deputies.
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One deputy tells the assistant manager, “Nobody’s in trouble, we just want to know some names.”
He continues: “Not even a report will be written. That guy out there is just going to complain about his food.”
Once he has the name of the manager and the company that owns the Burger King location, he takes it to the sheriff.
“These are hourly employees, and they were so concerned that they locked the doors of our elected official,” Farook said.
In the body camera video, a deputy tells the sheriff that the employees are scared because angry customers have escalated to stalking in the past.
The sheriff laughs and says, “You didn’t tell him who I was, did you?”
“No. I just told him it was the guy in the truck,” the deputy responded.
Owens is up for re-election this year and his opponent, David Cavender, posted the video online early Friday morning.
He couldn’t talk on camera Channel 2’s Courtney Francisco on Friday evening because he was on duty with the Cobb County Police Department.
The man running for Chief Deputy with him is Mike Dondelinger.
“I think it’s an abuse of power,” Dondelinger said.
He said it is a form of intimidation and a waste of resources.
“I am shocked that the sheriff feels so flippant about this issue that he would allow officers to use flashing lights and sirens, putting citizens and his officers at risk, just so he could get information from one business owner that clearly could have been followed up on another day,” Dondelinger said.
The sheriff called it a business dispute that any citizen can make.
“I was not in uniform and at no time during my interactions with staff did I identify myself as a member of the law enforcement community. At no point did I make my position known, nor did I ask the responders to do anything they would not do, would not have done, or have not done for anyone else raising a business dispute,” Owens said.
He said the call is being politicized in an attempt to win votes.
“Whether I am a command sergeant major, a major in the Cobb Police Department, or a sheriff, I have always worked to build trust in leadership. It is clear to our citizens and residents that I have to work harder, and I promise I will,” said Owens.
He ended with a list of achievements and an apology.
“Anything that distracts from that mission is a distraction, and for that I am deeply sorry,” Owens said.
Voters like Farook said they want more information about this race now.
“If I don’t get ketchup on my Whopper, can I call police officers with sirens?” Farook said.
