Background: Dylan Johnson (WTOC). Inset: FILE – The sign outside a McDonald’s restaurant is seen in Pittsburgh, June 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
A Georgia man was trying to report a possible break-in at his home and called 911 — but the dispatcher who took the call was apparently distracted by a McDonald’s order at the time.
Local CBS affiliate WTOC recently conducted an investigation into possible issues at the 911 call center in Georgia’s Chatham County. According to the report, “thousands” of calls end up being abandoned by the callers every month due to a lack of responsiveness by dispatchers. But in the case of one caller, the dispatcher picked up — while she was seemingly dividing her attention between a frightened citizen and her breakfast order.
Dylan Johnson spoke to WTOC about the investigation and shared his experience with the 911 dispatcher in question. He made his call on Feb. 14, 2025, when his wife was home alone and thought she heard someone trying to break in to their home in Windsor Forest, Georgia.
He told WTOC, “My wife called me while I was at work about 9:30 and said someone was snooping around the house, knocking on the doors and banging on windows and stuff.” He added, “I was panicking. My wife was home alone with my five-month-old daughter … and I was coming home not knowing what I was going to come home to.”
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After calling the county’s nonemergency line, he tried 911 — three times. When someone finally picked up his call for help, the dispatcher can be heard talking to other people and, apparently, placing a breakfast order, saying, “Uh-huh … McGriddle … uh-huh …” Shen then turned back to Johnson, “I’m sorry, what?”
Police responded to Johnson’s home. Johnson told WTOC that by the time they got there, the alleged trespasser was gone. His family was shaken up but safe.
WTOC spoke to Chatham County Chairman Chester Ellis and asked him about the “McGriddle” call, to which he responded, “That should never happen, OK? Your ordering breakfast should be different from answering a call. The two should never intertwine.”
Ellis told WTOC that the incident was under review. Law&Crime reached out to Ellis for an update on the review but did not get an immediate response.
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