North Carolina man arrested for not returning VHS tape rented in 2002

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/24/north-carolina-man-arrested-not-returning-vhs-tape

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A North Carolina man has been arrested this week for failing to return a VHS tape to a video store 14 years ago, police said on Thursday.

James Meyers, 37, of Concord, was driving his daughter to school when he was pulled over by police for a broken brake light, according to a video Meyers posted on YouTube on Tuesday.

Meyers said officers ran his driver’s license and told him he had an outstanding arrest warrant for not returning a movie to J&J Video in Salisbury, North Carolina in 2002.

“The guy brings me to the back of the car and he goes: ‘Sir, I don’t know how to tell you this, but there’s a warrant out for your arrest from 2002. Apparently you rented a movie, Freddy Got Fingered, and you never returned it,’” Meyers said in the video, appearing dumbfounded.

The Concord police department confirmed the arrest in a statement on Thursday, saying the warrant was issued 28 February 2002 by the now closed video store and signed by a magistrate.

Meyers said the officer let him take his daughter to school and go to work, as long as he promised to turn himself in to the police department later that day.

Police later took Meyers in handcuffs to the Cabarrus county magistrates office. He is required to appear in court on a misdemeanor charge of failure to return hired property, police said.

Meyers is scheduled to appear in court 27 April, local media reported. Meyers could not be reached for comment on Thursday.

Comedian Tom Green, star of the 2001 film Freddy Got Fingered, tweeted on Wednesday night: “I just saw this and I am struggling to believe it is real.”