Electric Car Owner Arrested For Stealing 5 Cents Of Power

All the teachers at the school are having a laugh at this guys expense. Meanwhile, all of them are charging their personal cell phones and smartphones off the schools electrical system.
 
pretty sure his taxes go to fund the school where his child attends, so it's not stealing in any literal sense of the word -- this is like charging me for stealing when I plug my laptop into an outlet in a hotel lobby.

So now instead of 5 cents -- there will literally be thousands of dollars worth of time and effort wasted to resolve this.

Where is the real problem in this case? Either the person that called the cops, or the cop himself. What did the cop want? for the guy to just sit there and have to call a tow truck to take his kid home?
 
Cop: Did you ask administration if you could plug-in?
Man: No.
Cop: Technically this is utility theft. I have to ask you to unplug your car until you get permission.
Man: OK.

The guy shouldn't have kept the car plugged in. If everyone could just pull up to the school and charge their cars, there would be an issue as well. In my opinion, its better to have one guy upset he can't charge his car than deal with the crap storm of "I've been plugging my car in here for 6 months. Why are you telling me I can't?!"

That said, arresting the guy is using a sledgehammer to drive a nail. This could have been handled much differently.

pretty sure his taxes go to fund the school where his child attends, so it's not stealing in any literal sense of the word
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Walk into a park and walk out with a bench. You'll be arrested for theft.
 
Over zealous cop must have had a field day "busting" him for this one. I see people charging laptops at the time at school events, I've never considered those outlets anything but public properly for use by people attending the events.

Now sure if the guy was charging his car there every day as a primary power source, someone should tell him to knock it off.
 
You would think for an arrest to be made someone would have to be pressing charges. I'd like to know who that person is specifically.

I understand someone coming by and unplugging the car, or telling the person he can't/shouldn't do that. But arresting him was a few steps over the line. If the guy lived close, parked his car there every day/night to charge it, causing a significant usage of electric, then maybe criminal charges would be reasonable.
 
collegeboy69us said:
pretty sure his taxes go to fund the school where his child attends, so it's not stealing in any literal sense of the word -- this is like charging me for stealing when I plug my laptop into an outlet in a hotel lobby.

So now instead of 5 cents -- there will literally be thousands of dollars worth of time and effort wasted to resolve this.

Where is the real problem in this case? Either the person that called the cops, or the cop himself. What did the cop want? for the guy to just sit there and have to call a tow truck to take his kid home?
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probably one of those redneck cops who wants everyone to drive big block gas hogs instead of electric cars.

This entire situation aside, why the hell was the guy charging at the school in the first place? Aren't these cars rated at 300 miles? Couldn't he just wait until he got home?
 
Seeing as the coffee shop hippies are normally leeching power from the store, or a neighboring stores external wall plug, I'm failing to see how this is different.
 
I don't know how the law operates in the US, but shouldn't charges be made by the school in order to arrest someone?
 
I think it was a fair arrest.
Yes, it was only a nickel, but that's because the cops showed up right when the thief plugged his car in. Had he been allowed to steal for a longer period of time, the value of the theft would have gone up.
 
HFBallad said:
I think it was a fair arrest.
Yes, it was only a nickel, but that's because the cops showed up right when the thief plugged his car in. Had he been allowed to steal for a longer period of time, the value of the theft would have gone up.
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5 cents for 20 minutes. Says so in the article.
 
The cop's entire paycheck is funded with stolen money. Arrest him for racketeering.
 
BigJayDogg3 said:
Cop: Did you ask administration if you could plug-in?
Man: No.
Cop: Technically this is utility theft. I have to ask you to unplug your car until you get permission.
Man: OK.

The guy shouldn't have kept the car plugged in. If everyone could just pull up to the school and charge their cars, there would be an issue as well. In my opinion, its better to have one guy upset he can't charge his car than deal with the crap storm of "I've been plugging my car in here for 6 months. Why are you telling me I can't?!"

That said, arresting the guy is using a sledgehammer to drive a nail. This could have been handled much differently.
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My sentiments exactly.

What the guy was doing was wrong, but arresting him was WAY overkill.

A simple "move along" order would have sufficed.
 
Now, if this was up north where it was cold. The guy could be plugging in his gas car to keep the block warm so it would start. Mind you if it was that cold to plug in your car I am sure his kid would not be playing outside.
 
Lack of common sense at it's finest. I guess anyone with 1/2 a brain, a heart beat can become a school or local police officer...

If it even makes it before a judge, I bet the charges will be dropped and the arresting officer will receive a stern warning for clogging up the legal system with petty charges. That's what happened to a local officer who issued over 30 speeding citations in a single day for <5 MPH over the posted speed limit in a highway zone. The judge literally dismissed each and every case and thoroughly embarrassed the officer in front of a crowd of defendants.
 
Doesn't matter if you steal a 5 cent pack of gum or a TV, it's still theft. You can't say under $1.00 is not an offense. However, you should probably look at the circumstances and the cost of pursuing the thing. Is prosecuting for a nickle theft worth it?

BUT - I think there may be more to the story. Most cops would ask the guy to unplug it, that it's technically theft, etc.. Unless the school was pressing charges and the cop has to follow through, or the guy was a complete dick so the cop responded the same way. I really don't see the 'victim' as being completely innocent. Either that is the biggest asshole cop ever, or there is more to this.
 
Who pays for the electricity? He didn't' pay for it. If everyone plugs in, it adds up.

"oh, there's an outlet, let me plug in". I would be pissed if I saw and extension cord from my house out to some one's car. While the actual arrest is silly, his arrogant attitude is what got him arrested, not the "theft".
 
somecallmeTim said:
Who pays for the electricity? He didn't' pay for it. If everyone plugs in, it adds up.

"oh, there's an outlet, let me plug in". I would be pissed if I saw and extension cord from my house out to some one's car. While the actual arrest is silly, his arrogant attitude is what got him arrested, not the "theft".
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Uh, we all do? Schools and school parks and public parks are all taxpayer funded.
 
There's a plug that ANYONE can plug into? He didn't like unscrew a cover to access it or anything? This police officer needs to get suspended without pay while they investigate why he thought it was prudent to arrest someone when no one filled a report, no one complained, the district attorney didn't decide to charge him with anything (in a time span of a day) and if they saw him after 20 minutes perhaps tell him that he can't do that and be done with it?

He should sue the school for having a power plug that his child could easily kill himself with by sticking his fingers into it
 
Azhar said:
Uh, we all do? Schools and school parks and public parks are all taxpayer funded.
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Indirectly, yes, but that doesn't mean it is his - or any of ours - to do with as he pleases.

The example someone used above was perfect.

Try walking out of a public park with a park bench, and see how well that goes.

The tax funds are used for a very specific purpose, and can not be unilaterally appropriated by individuals.
 
Ur_Mom said:
Doesn't matter if you steal a 5 cent pack of gum or a TV, it's still theft. You can't say under $1.00 is not an offense. However, you should probably look at the circumstances and the cost of pursuing the thing. Is prosecuting for a nickle theft worth it?

BUT - I think there may be more to the story. Most cops would ask the guy to unplug it, that it's technically theft, etc.. Unless the school was pressing charges and the cop has to follow through, or the guy was a complete dick so the cop responded the same way. I really don't see the 'victim' as being completely innocent. Either that is the biggest asshole cop ever, or there is more to this.
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It looks like he was warned by the same cop a few days back not to do that without permission:

“I quickly realized it was from the events that had happened 11 days back,” he said. “The officer did threaten that he would do that. I guess I didn’t quite believe that he would go through with it.”

source
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It also looks like the guy has a fairly loose interpretation of theft:

But Kamooneh said he believes he committed no crime. He said in his experience as an electric car driver, seeking permission was often an informal exchange and that he had never encountered a problem before.

“Of course I agree that theft is theft, what I don’t agree with is that every taking of something without permission is theft,” he said, adding that there were no one at the school to ask permission from at the time.
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There wasn't anyone to ask, so it's not theft? :confused: I can understand that view since most places allow phones/laptops to charge up without issue, but to assume that's the case by default even when you've already been warned is stretching it a bit.
 
It would be same if he used your own house outside plug to steal electricity. Stealing is stealing and it doesn't matter on the cost its the whole moral value of the matter. This guy should have know better.

Stealing 10c of gum or 5c of electricity, all the same.
 
Did you guys miss the New's Anchor's opening statement?

I quote a short segment "...something you had done before ..."

I also submit that "Within minutes of plugging in the car, he says a Chamblee police officer appeared."

I think there is more to this story then this News Reporter is letting on. It sounds to me like the guy had a routine going, maybe someone already complained to him, maybe not, but someone must have had the cops waiting for him. It's one thing to plug in if you have a need for it, it's another to make a habit of it and abuse it.


pretty sure his taxes go to fund the school where his child attends, so it's not stealing in any literal sense of the word
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Yes it is.

As for the tax money thing, those taxes go to pay for legitimate expenses, not so a person can abuse the resources. Using your logic I can claim that I payed my taxes for the last 20 years so I can go get one of the School's new laptops because I paid my taxes. Oh heck, why not a new laptop every year as long as my taxes cover the expense?

This is a problem of behavior and ethics.
 
Neb said:
It looks like he was warned by the same cop a few days back not to do that without permission:
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Yeah, if this guy was warned, and then did it anyway, he deserves whatever comes out of this.

Neb said:
There wasn't anyone to ask, so it's not theft? :confused: I can understand that view since most places allow phones/laptops to charge up without issue, but to assume that's the case by default even when you've already been warned is stretching it a bit.
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There was no one here to ask if I could borrow your car, so I just assumed it was OK for me to go ahead and do so. Never mind that I don't know you, and just came across your car and keys :p
 
collegeboy69us said:
pretty sure his taxes go to fund the school where his child attends, so it's not stealing in any literal sense of the word
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This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

When he unilaterally decides to take something that public funds has paid for, he is automatically stealing from every other taxpayer who paid into the system.

It IS theft. Public property is not your property regardless of how much of your taxes went toward them.
 
collegeboy69us said:
pretty sure his taxes go to fund the school where his child attends, so it's not stealing in any literal sense of the word -- this is like charging me for stealing when I plug my laptop into an outlet in a hotel lobby.

So now instead of 5 cents -- there will literally be thousands of dollars worth of time and effort wasted to resolve this.

Where is the real problem in this case? Either the person that called the cops, or the cop himself. What did the cop want? for the guy to just sit there and have to call a tow truck to take his kid home?
Click to expand...

So I can just walk into a school and take printer paper, I mean because my taxes pay for it, it is mine to take right? People keep making a big deal about it only being 5 cents, but had the officer not come it he would have surely charged longer. And obviously it would have continued over multiple visits.
 
Zarathustra[H];1040437416 said:
Indirectly, yes, but that doesn't mean it is his - or any of ours - to do with as he pleases.

The example someone used above was perfect.

Try walking out of a public park with a park bench, and see how well that goes.

The tax funds are used for a very specific purpose, and can not be unilaterally appropriated by individuals.
Click to expand...

As someone else in this thread said, try using water as an example. Drink out of the fountain and see if you get arrested. It's there for our convenience, not for decoration. If the outlets were open, the guy probably had some right to use it, although charging cars are a little ostentatious. I'm sure it was meant for smaller things like charging phones or plugging in stereos for picnics in the park or an electric stove or something.
 
Azhar said:
Uh, we all do? Schools and school parks and public parks are all taxpayer funded.
Click to expand...

That isn't how public funds work.

You can't walk in to a police station and steal a taser just because it's "taxpayer funded".
 
"I'm not sure how much electricity he stole," said Chamblee police Sergeant Ernesto Ford, but he added: It doesn't matter. "He broke the law. He stole something that wasn't his."

Well Officer grump, since time is money, I wonder how much of it you stole by having your inane act of law enforcement reported? I bet it was more than a nickle!
 
I agree almost completely with urmom.


I would also point out something on this statement tho.
Is prosecuting for a nickle theft worth it?
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No, it probably is not in the city's best interest, but it isn't the cop's job to decide, it's the DA's. The cop's job is to arrest people who violate the laws and he is not supposed to be deciding who to arrest and who not to arrest.
 
That other article says nothing about the guy doing it twice, it says he was warned, then later arrested at his home once an arrest warrant was issued. Poorly written, but that's what it says.

Either way, it wastes more taxpayer money to pursue the issue via an arrest than it would just to tell the guy to knock it off and/or lock up the outlet.
 
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