Maybe he thought he was being funny when he tossed a plastic bottle at a landscaper as he drove on Towne Lake Parkway.
But the witness who took pictures of the man and got his tag number was not laughing. And neither was the landscaper, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.
The witness reported the crime to authorities after it happened Friday, Lt. Jay Baker said. At the time, investigators didn’t have a victim, Baker said.
Enter Facebook. The witness posted the pictures of the suspect on the social media site, and the post was shared. Again and again, Baker said.
It didn’t take long for someone to identify both the alleged bottle tosser and the landscaper. Turns out, they work for the same company, but aren’t friends, Baker said.
On Sunday, Michael Dotson, 22, of Woodstock, was arrested and charged with simple battery, according to police. He spent the night in jail before he was released Monday morning on $1,000 bond.
But the story doesn’t end there.
The Cherokee sheriff's office own Facebook post about Dotson's arrest with his mugshot has been shared hundreds of times and dozens had commented within two hours.
“Well done!” one person commented. “Thanks to the citizens that stood up and helped make the wrong right!”
Others commented on the photo of Dotson, shown grinning after his arrest. Some of the comments were too personal and accusatory in nature, leading the Sheriff’s Office to remove its Facebook page later Monday afternoon.
The witness and social media were crucial for the arrest, Baker said. Throwing items from a moving vehicle is never a good idea, he said.
The landscaper, who wasn’t injured, “was still upset about the whole thing,” Baker said Monday.
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