Menu Emergency?

By Jennifer Lindgren, WKYC News

September 3, 2012 Updated Aug 31, 2012 at 8:37 PM PDT

A Brunswick, Ohio man is facing a misdemeanor charge after he called 9-1-1 during a dispute over the quality of his meal at a Chinese restaurant.

Brunswick police cited Douglas Srock, 51, for misusing 9-1-1.

Last Friday Srock was dining at the House of Pearl restaurant.

He says he told the wait staff the chicken was terrible and refused to pay.

On the 9-1-1 tape, he can be heard saying:

"They're trying to make me pay for a meal I didn't eat, and it was total garbage. They told me to call the police if I wanted. I tried to leave without paying."

When an officer arrived the restaurant manager stated they would comp Srock's entire meal with the understanding that he was no longer welcome at the restaurant.

"I called police because I wanted an officer on the scene because they were screaming at both myself and my senior citizen mother," Srock later said.

Srock was charged with the misdemeanor, which he plans to fight in court.

"From what the officer told me, the only thing you can call 9-1-1 for is life-threatening situations. Nothing else," Srock said.

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