Douglas man calling 911 over stolen car jailed for assault
Douglas County man jailed after calling police on family
A Douglas County man's emergency phone call backfired completely when responding officers discovered he was allegedly assaulting his own family.
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. - A Douglas County man's emergency phone call backfired completely when responding officers discovered he was allegedly assaulting his own family.
What we know:
30-year-old Austin McMindes was arrested after calling 911 to report that someone had taken his car and kicked him out of it.
The emergency call initially left police operators confused. However, when an officer drove up to a Circle K service station, he caught McMindes violently trying to force a woman out of the driver's seat of an SUV.
McMindes was grabbing the woman by her arm and leg, forcing the officer to place him on the ground to stop the active assault, according to police.
Timeline:
The incident began while McMindes and his relatives were traveling home from a wedding.
During the drive, McMindes jumped out of the passenger side at a traffic light to try to force his way into the driver’s seat.
The driver refused to let him behind the wheel because he had too much to drink, prompting her to drive away from the intersection and pull into a nearby gas station.
McMindes followed her to the Circle K property, where he immediately launched the physical assault.
The backstory:
An 8-year-old family member was sitting in the back seat of the vehicle throughout the entire physical confrontation.
Investigators later confirmed that the SUV did legally belong to McMindes.
Despite his legal ownership, his relatives staged an intervention to block him from operating the heavy machinery that sparked the domestic violence incident.
What's next:
Booking records show that authorities have officially charged McMindes with public intoxication, battery, family violence and cruelty to children in the third degree. The suspect remains in local custody as his case is processed through the county court system.
What we don't know:
Police reports have not clarified the exact familial relationship between McMindes and the female driver, describing her only as a family member.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by Doug Evans for FOX 5 Atlanta, who analyzed first-hand law enforcement reports and scene details provided by Douglas County police investigators.