Man Charged With Making Terroristic Threats Over Slow Coffee Service In South Austin

SOUTH AUSTIN, TX -- Sometimes, people really, really have to have their coffee.

A man was charged with making a terroristic threat at a Starbucks coffee shop in southeast Austin after calling police to report his order wasn't being filled. The incident occurred at the store on East Ben White Boulevard eastbound this past Friday.

Ali K. Qassrawi, 38, called police to report he had ordered and paid for his drink yet the barista wasn't giving him his order. When he sensed police failed to match his urgency about the matter, he dialed 911, reports KVUE-TV.

"If I kill someone with bomb, then can you send police?" Qassrawi reportedly told the dispatcher, according to an arrest affidavit. "If I make a bomb and kill someone inside the building, will you send police then?"

The remarks were grounds for a quick visit from police. Qassrawi was arrested on the spot and charged with making a terrorstic threat (a Class B misdemeanor).

The manager of the Starbucks insisted to police that the man's coffee was not being withheld, but he was too impatient when it didn't arrive immediately. The manager said that's when Qassrawi became more agitated, asking for the name of the server handling his order, and when that barista's shift would be over that day.

The manager refused to disclose the information, further enraging the coffee-deprived patron.

Once police arrived to arrest him, he expressed regret about the whole coffee incident. He told police he had said "bad" things in reporting the incident, according to the affidavit.

The television station checked police records to find Qassrawi was not booked into jail, given the misdemeanor nature of the offense. But it's probably a safe bet the man might be getting his coffee elsewhere in the future.

Or, better yet, he might switch to decaf.