A former Mobile, Alabama city councilman is facing two counts of second-degree making terrorist threats after an incident at a Hooters restaurant. William Carroll, 56, was arrested Wednesday. Court complaints say the threats were directed at two female employees on October 14, including graphic statements about raping little girls. Police issued him a trespass warning at the scene that night, and the arrest came later. Carroll was booked into the Mobile County Metro Jail Wednesday and released on a $3,000 bond for each charge. A bond hearing is scheduled for Friday.
The case is moving through the Mobile County District Court, and the facts as described in the complaints are disturbing. Two women working a shift had to hear threats that no employee should ever experience. The arrest means the criminal process is now underway, and the Friday bond hearing will be the next public step.
For listeners on the Suncoast, the details here are extreme, but the underlying issue is not. Service industry workers around Sarasota, Bradenton, and the barrier islands deal with difficult customers every season, and there is a real question about how quickly reports of threats get taken seriously. If you work in hospitality and something feels wrong on a shift, report it. If you manage a team, know the process for protecting your staff.
What do you think should happen when someone threatens a service worker on the job? Sound off on our Facebook page.
