Mall parking spot scrum takes destructive turn

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Dunwoody police said a scrum for parking spots on Black Friday took a destructive turn.

Police told Channel 2’s Mike Petchenik it happened just before midnight Friday at Perimeter Mall after one shopper took another’s spot.

“Once they got out of the vehicle, they went ahead and exchanged some words,” said Dunwoody Police Sgt. Mike Carlson.

Carlson said one woman keyed the other’s Mercedes.  Officers arrested the woman on disorderly conduct charges. Police said the victim said she would drop charges provided the suspect paid to fix her car.

“Remember what holiday it is and extend each other some extra courtesy,” said Carlson.  “The best thing to do is move on and find another spot.”

One woman told Petchenik she witnessed how busy it got on Black Friday at Perimeter Mall.

“It was packed and people would come and steal spots,” said Barrett Batson.  “It was a mess.”

Shopper Janai Kornegay told Petchenik she’s seen incidents of road rage in store parking lots this time of year.

“It can get real bad, close to accidents and people rolling down the window to argue with one another,” she said.  “I yell in my car.  I don’t yell at the person because you don’t know how crazy people can get.”

Her friend Destiny Eberhart admitted she has gotten into it with other drivers, including one incident last month.

“The lady saw me with the signal and doing everything right.  So, I yelled,” she said.  “I can’t tell y’all what I said to her but it wasn’t very nice.”

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WSBTV