Struggle Over Phone Leads to Arrest at Mosque

This story originated on Lilburn-Mountain Park Patch

On Nov. 20, about 8:30 a.m., Lilburn Police Department was dispatched to the 800 block of Dickens Road, the site of a Muslim mosque, for a physical altercation.

A man, with a history of antagonizing mosque members and visitors, was asked to leave that morning because of his past interactions, according to a police report.

When he was asked to leave, the man became argumentative, so an employee at the mosque called 911.

Once the employee -- and victim -- was on the phone with the emergency dispatcher, the suspect started fighting him for the phone, according to the police report, The victim told police that the man "began pulling his arm, then slapped him across the left side of his face."

The suspect's side of the story isn't much different, except to say he had been told that he could at least come to the mosque and pray but that he had agreed to leave immediately after.

Oh, and the suspect said the only reason he grabbed for the phone was to ask the dispatcher what was wrong -- not for any other reason.

The employee told police he wanted to press charges, so officers led the other man away in handcuffs. He was charged with obstructing an emergency phone call.

As for the altercation itself, police gave the victim information on how to obtain his own warrant for simple battery.