Retired 4-Star General Arrested After Stealing From, Assaulting Delivery Driver

No, but you guys, it’s totally OK, since according to him, “I fought for this country so hard, and I’ve tried to do good all my life.”

William J. Livsey is a retired 4-star General who served in the Korean and Vietnam wars and who commanded all US forces in South Korea for a time in the mid-1980’s. He also allegedly committed both theft and assault on a delivery driver in Fayetteville, Georgia last Tuesday. Via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, after ordering Chinese food, Livsey tried to pay the driver with a debit card that was declined. He then offered to write a check, but when the driver informed him the restaurant didn’t accept checks and he would need to return the food to the restaurant, Livsey allegedly grabbed the driver by the throat and pinned him to the fridge in his kitchen. Then multiple other people in the house (if they were family members, the apple did not fall far from the tree) started calmly unpacking and eating the food.

After Livsey ultimately let the driver go, the guy ultimately reported the incident to the police—as one should do when they’re physically assaulted by a customer. When they showed up at his house, Livsey admitted to eating food he hadn’t paid for, although it’s unclear whether that includes an admission of the actual assault. He also claims the delivery driver pushed him after the debit card was declined, because sure, that makes complete sense. Regardless, when police attempted to arrest him, Livsey tried “to punch one of the officers and kick another one all while making threatening and disparaging remarks,” according to Fayetteville Police Chief Scott Pitts. He was ultimately charged with a whole host of crimes: robbery, misdemeanor obstruction, theft of services, simple assault and terroristic threats.*

Livsey was later released (without having to pay bond, he claims, as the judge released him on his own recognizance), and is now upset over his alleged mistreatment. In addition to the above quote from him, Livsey tells the Journal-Constitution police “took me away without my shoes, glasses or medicine” (this typically happens when you try to assault the police) and that they made “a spectacle of it and a spectacle of me.”

The paper also quotes him as saying“It’s the first time in my life I’m ashamed to be an American.” Funny, that; I’m ashamed to be an American every time someone tries to use “I was/am in the military” as an excuse to treat their fellow human beings like garbage.

* “Terroristic threats?” What the hell did he say to the cops to draw that charge?