Newly released body-cam footage has shown the haunting moment that children’s mascot Chuck E. Cheese was arrested in front of horrified families in Florida.
On July 23, Tallahassee Police Officers instructed the mascot at the entertainment restaurant to stop resisting before grabbing his arms and handcuffing them behind his back.
Children could be heard in the background crying and screaming: ‘Chuck E., no!’
Police continued to refer to the detainee by the name ‘Chuck E.’ while escorting him out of the restaurant past families, birthday parties, and protesting parents.
‘Chuck E.’ was part-time employee Jermell Jones who was entertaining guests when the officers descended on the fun-friendly establishment.
Police walked in and said: ‘We’re going to detain the mouse…Do it, I want you to.’
Jones was charged with three felony offenses tied to the theft and fraudulent use of a customer’s credit card.
In the footage, the police informed the manager that his employee had stolen from Chuck E. Cheese patrons.
Children and families protested as the beloved mascot was arrested amidst their birthday parties and arcade games
Jermell Jones was arrested at Chuck E. Cheese dressed as their mascot for stealing a customer’s credit card
Critics slammed the public nature of the arrest, questioning why police didn’t wait until the man was out of costume to avoid traumatizing any kids nearby.
One customer told police in the video: ‘I would like y’all to walk him out of the door instead of traumatizing all of these children.’
She asked: ‘Would y’all put Mickey Mouse in handcuffs?’
When police finally got Jones outside, they removed his mask and placed it on top of the squad car.
Officers patted him down and told him that he was accused of ‘some fraud stuff with a credit card,’ which had allegedly been caught on camera.
Police found the victim’s credit card in his pocket during the arrest. The victim later discovered roughly $100 in fraudulent charges from unfamiliar retailers.
Surveillance footage from a store nearby and transaction logs showed Jones had used the stolen card at multiple locations.
Police officers entered the themed restaurant and arrested the man in full view of youngsters celebrating birthday parties and playing games
Tallahassee Police confirmed the arrest of Jermell Jones, a part-time employee at the restaurant, while he was dressed as Chuck E. Cheese and entertaining guests
Jones reportedly resisted arrest, so police handcuffed him in front of guests
Once Chuck E. Cheese was outside, Jones was revealed to be under the mouse head
Jones denied the accusations and pleaded with the officers.
He said: ‘I cannot afford to lose this job.’
He was booked at Leon County Jail and later released on a $1,000 bond.
Jones’s job at Chuck E. Cheese was to check guests’ handstamps at the door. In the video, police speculated that he expected the arrest and hid in the mascot’s costume instead.
The arrest was also captured by an onlooker and widely shared on social media.
Photos of the moment have gone viral, showing the mascot being escorted out of the restaurant by officers.
‘Ok, Tallahassee Police Department, y’all couldn’t let this man change out of his Chuck E. Cheese costume before arresting him in front of those kids?’ one stunned user wrote on Facebook, echoing the sentiment of outraged parents and bewildered onlookers.
A Chuck E. Cheese employee at the Tallahassee location told reporters, ‘It’s unfortunate that it happened here,’ but emphasized that the arrest ‘didn’t have anything to do with the company.’
According to TPD spokesperson Alicia Hill, while there is no official TPD policy regarding arrests made in costume or in front of children, the department relies on officer discretion to prioritize public safety and the preservation of evidence
In a statement to the Tallahassee Democrat, a representative for CEC Entertainment, the parent company of Chuck E. Cheese confirmed: ‘We are aware of an incident involving a part-time employee arrested at our Tallahassee location on Wednesday, July 23. We have taken the appropriate action concerning the subject employee.’
The company also confirmed in July that TPD had not yet reached out to them directly about the investigation.
Daily Mail reached out to CEC Entertainment for further updates.
