Daphne Police Department officers were refused service by employees at their local Five Guys franchise, according to a report by WKRG.
Citing a “credible source,” WKRG on Tuesday night reported that a group of five officers had attempted to eat at the Daphne Five Guys after court.
“A group of employees turned their backs on the officers. One of the employees could be overheard saying, ‘I’m not serving them.’ The source said the officers walked out and went to another restaurant,” the TV station outlined.
Daphne Mayor Dane Haygood on social media wrote that he was aware of the WKRG report and had put the franchise’s owner in touch with police department leadership to figure out what occurred.
The mayor said that he “certainly hope[s] that our officers were not refused service.”
“I am offering to buy these five officers their next meal. Who else wants to follow suit to show our support and appreciation for our men & women in blue?” Haygood concluded.
Mobile County Commissioner Jerry Carl, a Republican candidate for Congress in AL-01, also made his thoughts clear in a Facebook post.
“No way we should look the other way on this stunt! These police officers are the only things keeping us and our family from being run over by crooks and criminals,” he remarked. “We have to make a stand every time we can for these frontline defenders. I also understand these young workers are just acting out what they hear and see on social media. The owner should use this event to show these kids just how wrong their actions were and invite the entire police department to share a meal with these kids. Come on parents step up and work with this business owner and police to teach these young folks just how to be responsible adults.”
The story has already caught the attention of people across the state, including Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth (R-AL).
What direction are we going as a society when the men and women who protect us from harm cannot order a simple meal? If you see an officer in a restaurant today, buy their meal. #backthebluehttps://t.co/kXz1s6HJay
— Will Ainsworth (@willainsworthAL) July 8, 2020
Ainsworth on Wednesday announced that he will be buying lunch for any law enforcement officers who eat at the Chick-fil-A in Guntersville from 11:00 a.m. — 1:00 p.m. CT.
“We appreciate the job you are doing to protect our community,” Ainsworth said to law enforcement officers in a Facebook post.
Five Guys corporate is also aware of the WKRG report. The restaurant chain tweeted, “We are very concerned about what has been reported and we are currently working with the store’s franchisee to investigate this situation.”
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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