By Jonathan Edwards
The Virginian-Pilot
NORFOLK, Va. - Two police officers spotted something wrong with their receipt after ordering a couple of slices at a local pizza place.
Subtotal: $8.97
Then a quote from a rap song that once caused officers to chase N.W.A members off stage: –– THA POLICE.
The officers went into Del Vecchios at 1080 W. 47th St. on Wednesday night and ordered two slices of chicken-ranch pizza and a house salad, according to a receipt sent to The Pilot.
https://www.facebook.com/delveccs/posts/1534821859905734
One officer said Del Vecchios had been “one of our trusted eating spots” for a long time, but not after this. He said news of the incident was swirling around the department.
“I loved that place,” he said.
By Thursday night, Del Vecchios employees had posted on Facebook, apologizing. On Friday, manager Emily Browning said one worker was responsible and had been fired.
The employee knew one of the two officers who’d ordered pizza from outside of work and was kidding around with him, Browning said. “It was a joke that escalated.”
Still, she added, Del Vecchios strongly disapproves of what he did.
“We love our police department,” Browning said, noting that they give them 50 percent discounts. “We always take care of them.”
Several people who claimed to be law enforcement officers replied to the Del Vecchios post, defending the restaurant. One said it was a part of a long-running joke that the officer took too personally. Another said Del Vecchios is “very police friendly.”
One woman said her husband is an officer and eats there all the time. In an environment in which officers are more heavily scrutinized, though, “I don’t find that funny at all.”
©2017 The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.)