By Police1 Staff
JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — A restaurant owner, reportedly upset over a traffic citation, admitted that his employees tamper with the food they serve to cops.
A Feb. 6 letter sent out by Police Chief Patrick Dooley warned officers to be cautious when they eat at Cruisers Grill, Action News Jax reported.
The letter said owner Robert Handmaker approached officers after they responded to a false fire alarm at his business.
According to the report, Handmaker recounted a recent experience he had during a traffic stop to the officers who responded to the alarm. He told them he received a citation for expired registration and that the officer who issued the ticket “didn’t seem to care” who he was. Handmaker said he had been offering discounts to first responders who came into the restaurant for years.
According to the news station, Handmaker then cursed at the officers and called them “bullies” after they said they couldn’t resolve his citation.
He indicated employees had spit in officers’ food in the past and may do so again in the future, the report said.
“While I will not issue an order prohibiting patronization of Cruisers, please use caution for health and safety reasons if you choose to eat at this establishment,” Dooley wrote.
https://twitter.com/brittneydonovan/status/829067209758629889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
General Manager John Addis wrote on Facebook that the statements are false and the staff would not mess with anyone’s food.
“We take great pride in our ability to serve our customers every day and have a deep appreciation for those in our community that serve us daily – our men and women in blue,” a Cruisers Grill representative said in a statement. “We are deeply disappointed and saddened to hear that false rumors regarding Cruisers Grill are being circulated… We are confident that after further review, those parties affiliated with this matter will realize that Cruisers Grill has faithfully and diligently served our community for over 20 years.”
https://twitter.com/DanielleANjax/status/829089222632038402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
ActionJax News spoke with the Crusiers Grill owner and he told them he never said employees spit in officers’ food. He assures concerned customers that the employees don’t tamper with food.
https://twitter.com/DanielleANjax/status/829115468912926720 https://twitter.com/DanielleANjax/status/829109236349202433