A father with facial paralysis says he felt like a criminal after McDonald’s staff called the police on him – because they thought he was drunk.
Craig Brown, 46, was stunned when an ‘overwhelming’ number of police vans burst into the drive-thru as he waited almost an hour for food.
He had paid for two chicken mayo sandwiches, a burger and three hot chocolates when six officers ordered from his car around 1 a.m. last Sunday.
Workers at the fast food department in Blackpole, Worcester, had called police because they believed the father-of-five was drunk and had been smoking cannabis.
But tests confirmed he was completely sober and then – to make matters worse – McDonald’s handed him his food, which was now stone cold.
Craig was previously diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy, which causes one side of his face to sometimes droop and he believes staff mistook his condition for being drunk.
He said he had joked with cashiers that he “needed a hotel” because of the 45-minute wait, but that he had not acted drunk or slurred his words in any way.
The self-employed electrician claimed he was abruptly told to wait in a car park while he was with a friend – where they stayed until police arrived ten minutes later.
Craig, from Worcester, said: “It was a bit of an ordeal actually, it shocked me when I saw the police arrive with their blue lights on.
“I saw one van and then two others came. It was a shocking experience. I didn’t think they would come for me.
“I’m not a restless type. But there comes a time when you pass the intercom when you’ve ordered your food and wait 40 minutes.
“We got to the window and they gave us our hot chocolate and they asked us to park in the bay. I think I jokingly said to them, “Shall I book a hotel?”
“They said ‘sorry the screens went off’ so I think they lied to me until the police arrived.
‘I didn’t swallow my words, I wasn’t drunk. You immediately see it when someone uses drugs, and that was not the case with me.
“The police then arrived, stopped and immediately went outside. They were looking for license plates, but I didn’t think it was for me.
“I was shocked and in disbelief when they accused me of being drunk and taking drugs.
“I don’t do drugs and rarely drink, so I was surprised.
“There were people looking at me, I use that van all the time. It’s in my name. It made me feel like a criminal.
“They made me take a breath test. I told them I would score zero.
“When the police were done with me, we got the food, but it was stone cold. They didn’t offer me a replacement meal or anything like that.
“I understand they have a duty if someone was drunk in the store or backed into a car, but they had no evidence that I was drinking or using drugs.”
Craig said he was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy several years ago, which caused one side of his face to droop and may have been the cause of the confusion.
He added: “I’ve had Bell’s palsy so one side of my face has fallen down a bit, but other than that you definitely know when someone is drunk.
“Maybe my face fell on one side, I don’t know. Maybe that was the cause, but it’s still wrong.
“Why did six police officers come, they blew it way out of proportion. One came on a flashing blue light.
“When I saw the van with the blue light I thought something was going on so it was quite a shock. You just can’t assume I’m on drugs.
“It was intimidating – you don’t need three vans and six officers. I don’t know what right McDonald’s has to call the police.
“If they saw me across the street leaving the pub and swerving, I would understand, but I didn’t.
“It’s disgusting to think about how much money I spent there and the way they treated me. I will definitely think twice about returning.”
A McDonald’s spokesperson said: “At McDonald’s we want to be a responsible neighbor and contribute to the safety and well-being of the communities we serve.
“It appears that in this case, although our team’s intentions were well-intentioned, their judgment was incorrect, and for that we would like to apologize to the customer.
“However, it is important to emphasize that our focus remains on the safety of our local communities.”
A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: “Officers were called to McDonald’s on the Blackpole retail park at around 1.10am on Sunday, October 6, following a report of concerns about a driver who may have been under the influence.
“When officers arrived, they found the driver who had passed a breathalyzer test, and no further police action was required.”
