It was just a bottle of liquor.

But that bottle got Tommy Padgett into a fight with a store clerk and landed him in jail.

Suk Cho, a clerk at his family’s business, Northridge Bottle Shop in Sandy Springs, told police he spotted Padgett walking to the back of the store July 14, attempting to steal a bottle of liquor, Channel 2 Action News reported.

Tommy Padgett (Credit: Channel 2 Action News)
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“I tried to take the bottle away from him, but he said he didn’t take it,” Cho told the news station.

Cho offered to let Padgett leave if he gave the bottle back.

When that didn’t work, the two fought. It ended when Cho used some of his martial arts training, Channel 2 reported. Police said at one point that Padgett pulled a knife on Cho.

Cho is later seen on surveillance video calling 911.

Padgett was arrested and remains in the Fulton County jail on charges of aggravated assault, armed robbery, possession of a knife during the commission of a felony and misdemeanor obstruction.

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In 2022, Georgia Power projected its winter peak electricity demand would grow by about 400 megawatts by 2031. Since then, Georgia has experienced a boom of data centers, which require a large load of electricty to run, and Georgia Power's recent forecast shows peak demand growing by 20 times the 400-megawatt estimate from just three years ago. (Illustration by Philip Robibero/AJC)

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