I manage a team of people in a call center. A bunch of us (reps, other managers, and myself) all went out to get drinks after work to Cactus Bar and Grill on Wells and Van Buren. I had never been there before. I arrived about 30 minutes after the first 3 people. When arriving, I gave my debit card to the server (we had 3 tables and I was standing and walking between all of them throughout the time there) and told her not to put anything on my tab unless I authorize it. Of course, I bought drinks for people and what not. I then asked to close my tab as I was planning on leaving soon. The server brought me my tab of around $64, and I signed off on it with a $12 tip bringing my total to $76. As I was getting ready to walk out the door, approximately 5 minutes after paying, there were still about 10 people from my party there. The manager came up to me and told me a couple people had not paid and had left. I asked who they were and he described them to me. I said I thought I knew who one of them was. He told me I would have to pay for them. I said that I would not. He told me that police were already there and I said I would gladly speak to them, as my bill was already paid. I walked outside and the manager went straight up to a short female officer and started speaking to her. I then told her I had just paid and I was not responsible for anyone else, which is why I opened a tab. My story with her took about 2 minutes. At this point, she stopped me and said, ""Are you finished?"". She started screaming at the top of her lungs calling me ""fing stupid"" and physically pushed me back 3 times with her hands. I was later told that she had pushed other people I was there with when they had asked her if they could just pay to end this. I immediately put my hands up in the air to show that I was not being physical at all. At this point, her partner, I assume, came into my face and said, ""You're either gonna pay or go to jail"". While thinking about my two options (about 10 seconds), he pushed me against his car and said, ""I guess you choose jail"". I told him at this point, ""Whoa! I'll pay, I'll pay! This isn't worth $70!"" All of the other 10 or so people I was with, started saying that they would pay too, and this wasn't worth it. The officer looked at the restaurant manager who said, ""Arrest him!"", and that was all she wrote. I was arrested for theft of service 10 minutes after paying my tab. The report also said that I intended to steal services when going in there. Here's the questions;
1. If I am responsible to pay for other people at ""my table"", then when didn't everyone that was still there get arrested? I wasn't the first to arrive, and was not the leader. Everyone had separate tabs, so if one of us was arrested, all of us should be.
2. Not only did they not ask anyone else to pay the tab, but they wouldn't accept payment from anyone else. When someone says, ""Don't arrest him, we'll pay! We're part of the same party!"", shouldn't they take payment and it will all be over?
PROOF - I have loads of proof. I have written statements from plenty of people, at least 3 of which would be happy to talk to the media about how the police/bar handled the situation.
I also have a recording that someone took with their cell phone. I'm not sure how great of evidence it is, but you can clearly hear the female cop refuse payment from people who are trying to pay and her escalated voice.
Most importantly, I have my bank statement, which shows that Cactus Bar and Grill took payment from me and my tab.
I have spent approximately $1500 trying to clean this up (my record still shows an arrest and a dropped case).
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