A man who reportedly insisted that the arresting officer call Commerce police chief John Gaissert as a character witness admitted that he stole two 20-ounce sodas from Quality Foods because he was “in a hurry.”
Being in a hurry landed David Lee Evans, 34, of 780 Silver Shoals Road, Lula, in the Jackson County Jail on shoplifting charges.
According to the arrest report, a store manager had observed Evans walking out of the store without paying for the open beverage, or for the one being carried out by his son. Further, the employee told the investigating officer that he heard Evans advise his son to hold the beverage by his side as they exited the store.
The report said Evans told the officer that his wife and other children were in a vehicle outside and he was in a hurry to get them home so they could come back to Commerce for the downtown trick-or-treat.
“He kept saying, ‘I was in a hurry,’ and ‘just let me pay for it now,’” the officer wrote. He said Evans looked at the store employee, who said the store would press charges, and told him “You’re ruining my kids’ Halloween.”
Evans told the police he’d come into the store to cash his paycheck and, after doing so, noticed that the checkout lines were long, so he decided to leave without paying for the two beverages, according to the incident report.
“Evans also informed me several times that he installed a fence for ‘Chief John’ and if I called him, he would tell me Evans doesn’t steal,’” the officer wrote.
On the way to the Jackson County Jail, the officer said Evans told him, “I don’t steal, well, I guess I did, but I was in a hurry.”
