McDonald’s says it is investigating a complaint that an employee at a local restaurant refused to serve a police officer.
- Palm Bay officer says he was denied service at McDonald's
- Lt. Tim Lancaster shared his story on Facebook
- One clerk reportedly "refused to serve cops"
Lieutenant Tim Lancaster of Palm Bay Police Department says he was denied service while trying to get lunch Friday at the McDonald’s on Babcock Street.
His story was shared on Facebook, in a post that that’s now been shared more than 4,000 times as of Saturday.
Lancaster says he pulled up to the second window after paying.
“When I got to the window, the clerk looked at me with my drink in hand and stopped,” Lancaster wrote in his Facebook post. “For the record, I am in full uniform and an unmarked car. She handed my drink to another clerk and walked away in disgust. I asked the other clerk what was wrong, she stated that the other clerk refuses to serve cops.”
Lancaster said he was embarrassed and upset, having never experienced anything like that in his 20 years in law enforcement.
In a statement, McDonald’s told Spectrum News 13: “We have respect for all first responders and are investigating. The behavior described in this Facebook post is unacceptable and not tolerated in our restaurants.”
A spokeswoman for McDonald’s confirmed it is a corporate-owned store. Palm Bay Police Department has hosted “Coffee with a Cop” programs at the Palm Bay McDonald’s multiple times in the past.
Lancaster told Spectrum News 13 that he has been in touch with McDonald’s corporate office, is confident they will handle the situation in a positive manner, and is looking forward to moving on.