By Police1 Staff
IRONDALE, Ala. — A uniformed officer claimed he was denied service at a fast-food restaurant because he was a cop, AL.com reported.
The officer, who has not been identified, entered a Krystal and waited over 20 minutes for his order that never came, Chief Ken Atkinson told the news site.
The officer’s wife posted on Facebook about the incident: “It’s a shame that police officers that protect and serve their communities are denied service. After waiting in the drive-thru in his patrol car, they never acknowledged my husband’s order.”
The officer pulled up to the drive-thru window in uniform and a marked cruiser, Atkinson said. He sat there for upwards of ten minutes after ordering, waiting for acknowledgement. Eventually he parked and went inside. He approached the counter and the employees scattered. He left without any food.
Krystal spokesperson Kim Miller told the publication surveillance video backs up the officer’s story, but also shows other guests at the restaurant at the time received poor service..
“We can also verify that the service he [the officer] experienced was unacceptable, but it was also unacceptable for the other three guests in front of him at the counter and at the drive-thru,’' she said. “The officer was not targeted, but neither he nor our other guests received the level of service they should.”
The officer went to get a meal somewhere else but later emailed the restaurant chain. Atkinson told the news site they have not gotten an email reply, but after calling, a customer service manager apologized for the employees’ actions.