William “Bill” Livsey, 84, of Fayetteville, Georgia is a [**retired four-star U.S. Army general**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_J._Livsey) and Silver Star recipient for heroism.
On August 15, Livsey ordered Chinese food delivery to his home and got into a dispute with the driver over the $80.60 order when the general’s debit card was declined. The restaurant refused to take a personal check. And here is where the details become hazy.
Delivery driver Ryan Irvin claims the 84-year-old Livsey put his left hand on the driver’s neck and pushed him against the refrigerator. The police were called, and neighbors then witnessed a brutal arrest.
When the police arrived, officers claimed Livsey refused to willingly sit in the back of a police car and had to be forced in by three officers, and also claim Livsey “constrict his muscles and refuse to put his hands behind his back while being placed under arrest for robbery.”
Livsey’s arrest was damaging enough that paramedics had to be called before Livsey was jailed and spent three days in the county jail – without his medication and without being allowed to take a shower. He was charged with robbery, misdemeanor obstruction, theft of services, simple assault and terrorist threats.
Yes, the Fayetteville police charged an 84-year-old man with “terroristic threats” because Livsey allegedly told “Officer D. Bell that he was going to kill him after Officer Bell escorted Livsey into the back of a patrol car.”
“It was the worst thing that happened to me in all of my life,” Livsey [**told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution**](http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/retired-fayette-general-officials-dealing-with-fal/nnPKj/). “Ten cops here for one 84-year-old man. It’s the first time in my life I’m ashamed to be an American. They took me away without my shoes, glasses or medicine.”
Even if this 84-year-old man managed to overpower the delivery driver as well as the responding officers, there is no reason to deny him his medication or a shower.
And there is especially no reason to charge him with terrorist threats. He was probably just hungry.
