Posted on Aug 21, 2015
"Retired 4-star Army general accused of assaulting Chinese food delivery man, resisting arrest"
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From: The Washington Times
A retired four-star Army general was arrested Saturday on charges of assaulting a Chinese food delivery man when he refused to take a check for the bill.
Retired Gen. William “Bill” Livsey, 84, ordered food from The Royal Chef China Bistro in Fayetteville, Georgia, which boasts a four-star review on Yelp. The restaurant told police that Gen. Livsey tried to pay for the delivery with his debit card, but it was declined, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
He then wrote a check for the $80.60 bill but Ryan Irvin, the delivery man, told Gen. Livsey the restaurant didn’t accept checks and that he would have to take back the food, police said, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
By then, the general had reached the end of his patience and he’s accused of pushing Mr. Irvin against the fridge, police said.
Meanwhile, two others in the home took the food and began eating it. Mr. Irvin left the house without payment or the food.
Mr. Irvin then reported the incident to police. When the officers arrived at the home, Gen. Livsey told police he ordered the food and consumed some without paying for it and said the delivery man had pushed him when his debit card was rejected, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
When officers tried to arrest Gen. Livsey, he resisted and sustained a small cut on his arm during the struggle.
When police tried to handcuff him again, Gen. Livsey tried to “punch one of the officers and kick another one all while making threatening and disparaging remarks,” police said.
Gen. Livsey told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he felt mistreated by the officers saying, “It’s the first time in my life I’m ashamed to be an American. They took me away without my shoes, glasses or medicine.”
He added, “I fought for this country so hard, and I’ve tried to do good all my life.”
Gen. Livsey was charged with robbery, misdemeanor obstruction, theft of services, simple assault and terroristic threats. He was released from the Fayette County jail on his own recognizance by a judge on Tuesday, the newspaper reported.
Gen. Livsey was a platoon leader in the Korean War and later commanded an infantry battalion in Vietnam. He commanded the U.S. Army from 1984 to 1987.
He received many awards and decorations during his military career, including the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross, the newspaper reported.
In October 2008, a portion of Highway 314 in Fayetteville was named in Gen. Livsey’s honor.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/aug/19/retired-4-star-army-general-arrested-assaulting-ch/
A retired four-star Army general was arrested Saturday on charges of assaulting a Chinese food delivery man when he refused to take a check for the bill.
Retired Gen. William “Bill” Livsey, 84, ordered food from The Royal Chef China Bistro in Fayetteville, Georgia, which boasts a four-star review on Yelp. The restaurant told police that Gen. Livsey tried to pay for the delivery with his debit card, but it was declined, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
He then wrote a check for the $80.60 bill but Ryan Irvin, the delivery man, told Gen. Livsey the restaurant didn’t accept checks and that he would have to take back the food, police said, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
By then, the general had reached the end of his patience and he’s accused of pushing Mr. Irvin against the fridge, police said.
Meanwhile, two others in the home took the food and began eating it. Mr. Irvin left the house without payment or the food.
Mr. Irvin then reported the incident to police. When the officers arrived at the home, Gen. Livsey told police he ordered the food and consumed some without paying for it and said the delivery man had pushed him when his debit card was rejected, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
When officers tried to arrest Gen. Livsey, he resisted and sustained a small cut on his arm during the struggle.
When police tried to handcuff him again, Gen. Livsey tried to “punch one of the officers and kick another one all while making threatening and disparaging remarks,” police said.
Gen. Livsey told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he felt mistreated by the officers saying, “It’s the first time in my life I’m ashamed to be an American. They took me away without my shoes, glasses or medicine.”
He added, “I fought for this country so hard, and I’ve tried to do good all my life.”
Gen. Livsey was charged with robbery, misdemeanor obstruction, theft of services, simple assault and terroristic threats. He was released from the Fayette County jail on his own recognizance by a judge on Tuesday, the newspaper reported.
Gen. Livsey was a platoon leader in the Korean War and later commanded an infantry battalion in Vietnam. He commanded the U.S. Army from 1984 to 1987.
He received many awards and decorations during his military career, including the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross, the newspaper reported.
In October 2008, a portion of Highway 314 in Fayetteville was named in Gen. Livsey’s honor.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/aug/19/retired-4-star-army-general-arrested-assaulting-ch/
Crime
Army
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 23
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I'm trying to phrase this in the best way possible.
Ignore the fact for a moment that he's a General.
He's an 84 year old man. Not quite my grandfathers' age (were they alive). But still proverbially "older than dirt."
Yes, he did wrong. There is no doubt about that. But when you get to be that age, you make allowances for age, and one of those allowances is, letting an old man put on his shoes. Walking him down to the car, with as much dignity as you can, and treating it like an "administrative affair" as opposed to an arrest. The General likely tipped the cops hands, and forced them to escalate up. I do not blame the cops at all in this.
I think we will likely find there is much more to his state later in the story.
Ignore the fact for a moment that he's a General.
He's an 84 year old man. Not quite my grandfathers' age (were they alive). But still proverbially "older than dirt."
Yes, he did wrong. There is no doubt about that. But when you get to be that age, you make allowances for age, and one of those allowances is, letting an old man put on his shoes. Walking him down to the car, with as much dignity as you can, and treating it like an "administrative affair" as opposed to an arrest. The General likely tipped the cops hands, and forced them to escalate up. I do not blame the cops at all in this.
I think we will likely find there is much more to his state later in the story.
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It's a sad event, but looks like the grumpy old man just lost it. Had this been any other 84 year old, it would have gone without much notice.
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SFC Jeff Stevenson
Fully agree, and notice the article names him as General, not (RET). As for the police action, the RET General lost his cool, failed on his judgment, and so did his guests. They could have solved this like "gentlemen", but chose a different approach. Do what your rank can handle, and as a retired general, welcome to the civilian sector. He took food and services without paying, theft. He failed to comply with law enforcement, resisting, and as stated before, any other 84 yr old would not have made the paper, as a retired officer, he should have thought better. Sad event.
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LTC (Join to see)
One question I have with this is why did the police respond with 10 officers? From the article this seems to be overkill. Reading between the lines I ask, have there been other incidents in the past?
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
My first thoughts were "dementia" (I use the term non specifically). He was born in 1931 (making him 84).
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Capt Seid Waddell
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS, it happens to many people as they age. My father and my uncle both had it before they passed; and I've had friends of that generation hit with it too. I hope it passes me by, but my genetics suggest that it may not.
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