Jack Karlson, the man who was famously wrongly arrested outside a Brisbane restaurant after eating a "succulent Chinese meal", has died of cancer after being diagnosed recently.
Jack Karlson, the man who was famously wrongly arrested outside a Brisbane restaurant after eating a "succulent Chinese meal", has died of cancer after being diagnosed recently.
The man who went viral for his 1991 arrest in Brisbane has died of cancer.
Jack Karlson, the man who was famously caught on camera flamboyantly resisting arrest after eating a “succulent Chinese meal”, has died of prostate cancer.
Karlson was dining at a restaurant in Brisbane in 1991 when police entered the premises and dragged him from his seat and into a police car.
Karlson was filmed delivering a range of Shakespearean-like lines protesting police officers’ actions during the famous arrest, which resurfaced and went viral in 2009.
As he was being hauled into the police car, he turned to the news camera: “Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest. Have a look at the headlock here,” he said as the police manhandled him against the car.
“Get your hand off my penis! This is the bloke who got me on the penis, people.”
Asking the police officers why they’d arrested him, he declared: “What is the charge? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal?
“That’s a nice headlock, Sir. Ah, I see that you know your judo well,” Karlson told police.
Jack Karlson told news viewers during his arrest: "Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest!"
To make matters worse, Karlson’s 1991 arrest turned out to be a case of mistaken identity.
Police believed Karlson was an international criminal from Hungary who used to rob restaurants.
The video blew up online nearly two decades after it happened and remains one of the most iconic memes of the internet’s early days, with multiple uploads and edits collectively pulling hundreds of millions of views.
Seven Network reporter Chris Reason remembers reporting on the mishap, recently sharing how he was given a tip that one of Queensland’s most wanted men had used a stolen credit card to pay for his meal. Reason had rushed to the venue to see it unfold.
Kim Edwards, the niece of the man who went viral for his controversial arrest, had started a Gofundme in June with the hope of raising funds for her uncle’s treatment.
“My name is Kim and I am the niece of Jack Karlson. You might know him as the man who ate a Succulent Chinese Meal or Mr Democracy Manifest,” she wrote on Gofundme.
“He has recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer and is also in need a surgery on his cataracts.
“I know Jack’s video has given a lot of people joy and he has inspired many memes, T-shirts and other things over the years, but Jack himself is doing it quite tough.
“He has never had much money but has always been generous to family and friends. He lives week-to-week in regional Queensland with the help of a voluntary carer.
“Hoping people can dig deep – I think he’s worth at least a beer, maybe even a six-pack.”
Edwards said the donations would go towards paying for his medical bills and transport to and from the doctor, as well as other general living costs while he fought cancer.
With a target goal of AU$50,000 ($54,362), Edwards managed to raise over $8572 (for her late uncle as of August 8.
