Man arrested for not returning video he rented in 2002

A Concord man says he was arrested for failing to return a VHS tape that he rented in 2002.

James Meyers says he was driving his daughter to school Tuesday when a police officer pulled him over for a defective tail light. The officer ran Meyers’ driver’s license then asked him to step out of the vehicle.

He says the officer told him there was a warrant out for his arrest from 2002, because Meyers had rented the movie “Freddy Got Fingered” and never returned it.

Meyers says the officer let him take his daughter to school and go to work, as long as he promised to turn himself in to the police department later that day.

Meyers showed media outlets the arrest warrant on Wednesday. He was booked on a failure to return rental property charge.

Tom Green, the writer-director of the movie, said that he could put in a good word with the court or even help out financially as long as the outcome doesn’t involve an outrageous sum.

“If it’s 200 bucks of course I’ll pay it for him, just for the principle of the thing,” Green told the Daily News.

Green also tweeted, “I just saw this and I am struggling to believe it is real.”

The Concord Police Department didn’t return comment to local TV stations, but Concord Police Sgt. Jonathan Hathcock confirmed Meyers’ arrest to the Huffington Post Thursday, saying, “It doesn’t matter what kind of warrant it is, if it’s a warrant we’re going to serve it.”

This story was originally published March 24, 2016 at 3:48 PM with the headline "Man arrested for not returning video he rented in 2002."