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DoorDash and similar delivery services have become fairly invaluable resources for many people who’ve ended up in a situation where they need to outsource an errand. That includes one person who was allegedly holding someone hostage at a motel in Texas who apparently managed to raise some red flags with an order that led to police being dispatched to the scene.
There’s zero doubt that sheer laziness is a major source of revenue for DoorDash and the many other platforms that have capitalized on a business model that revolves around outsourcing tasks most people usually had to take care of themselves before the internet made it easier than ever to connect with a personal shopper who can tend to them for you.
However, there are many users who turn to them for other reasons aside from a lack of motivation, as they’re a very handy tool if you don’t have access to a car or are juggling other commitments to the point where you simply don’t have time to make a run to the store.
That second issue was seemingly the root cause of an order that sent a DoorDash driver to a motel in Texas on Monday, although the person who placed it probably regretted their decision to do so based on what transpired after it arrived.
Police in Texas diffused a hostage situation after a DoorDash driver contacted them over a suspicious order
Most people who’ve worked a customer service job would tell you they usually don’t pay much mind to the items they’re ringing up; you might think you’re playing a hilarious prank if you buy a cucumber, condoms, and personal lubricant at Walmart, but the cashier probably could not care less.
However, there are some exceptions to that rule, and that would appear to include the order a DoorDash worker in Sweetwater, Texas was tasked with gathering together before dropping it off at a room at the Sweetwater Inn.
According to KTAB/KRBC, police were dispatched to that motel on Monday morning after getting a call from a delivery person who got the impression something was amiss after completing their DoorDash job.
Officers subsequently discovered the door to the room that was occupied by 42-year-old Neil Cooper was barricaded and found themselves dealing with a hostage situation after learning someone else was inside and being held against their will by Cooper. who told them he was armed with an unspecified weapon.
The person who was being held hostage was able to escape from the room before Cooper surrendered prior to being arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping (the hostage was also arrested due to a warrant for the manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance).
While the Sweetwater Police Department declined to specify the items at the center of the “suspicious DoorDash delivery” reference in a statement addressing the incident, the outlet claims the order contained “trash bags, zip ties, bleach,” and a hatchet.
It is pretty easy to understand why the person who called the cops felt something was off, and it’s safe to say they weren’t wrong.