Remember a long time ago when VHS used to be a thing- a time before Netflix and Hulu when the best way to get movies or full collections of TV shows was to go to places like Blockbuster and rent them? Well, one North Carolina man certainly does, and he's been arrested for failing to return a VHS tape that he rented in 2002.
The 2002 rental of "Freddy Got Fingered" caught up to the man, James Meyers, as he was driving his 10-year-old daughter to school in Charlotte, N.C. on Tuesday. A police officer pulled him over for a broken brake light, but what was supposed to be a routine stop became bizarre when the officer ran his license and discovered he had a warrant out for his arrest for failing to return a video from J&J's Video 14 years ago.
"The officer said, 'Sir, I don't know how to tell you this but there's a warrant out for your arrest from 2002. Apparently you rented the movie "Freddy Got Fingered" and never returned it.' I thought he was joking," Meyers said.
Well, unfortunately for Meyers, the officer was quite serious. He let Meyers take his daughter to school and go to work under the condition that he turn himself over at the police station later in the day, where upon his arrival, he was taken to a magistrate's office and patted down before being placed in handcuffs.
He was soon released but was ordered to appear in court on April 27 to answer the charge of "failure to return rental property," a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $200.
The story circulated after Meyers' arrest and quickly gained national coverage. It even got the attention of comedian Tom Green, the star of the movie that got Meyers in trouble to begin with.
Meyers said that he rewatched "Freddy Got Fingered" on Wednesday when he got a call from Green at around 1:30 a.m. from Australia, where he is currently on a comedy tour. He reportedly apologized for what happened and promised to help out with any legal fees.
"When I answered the phone he said, 'Daddy would you like some sausage?"' Meyers said, quoting a famous line from the movie. "I just about died."
Green later tweeted about Meyer's arrest as well, saying, "I just saw this and I am struggling to believe it is real."
I just saw this and I am struggling to believe it is real. https://t.co/GrTXoUj29X
— Tom Green (@tomgreenlive) March 24, 2016
So what about J&J's Video, the store which this ridiculous story focuses on? It's closed. Media attempts to contact the person who filed for the warrant on behalf of the now-closed store have been unsuccessful.
