Whataburger apologizes to off-duty Texas cop

  • Whataburger said that it has apologized to the unidentified Friendswood Police Department officer for turning him away
  • The police department said that the plain clothes detective had entered the Whataburger Thursday morning with a gun on his side and a badge 
  • That’s when an employee at the Whataburger branch informed the cop that it was store policy not to serve customers who openly carry weapons 
  • Police said that the detective attempted to explain to the manager that he was an officer, but all to no avail 

An off-duty cop in Texas was refused service at a popular fast-food chain restaurant on Thursday after entering the premises with a gun.

Whataburger said that it has apologized to the unidentified Friendswood Police Department officer for turning him away from their FM 528 location. 

The police department said that the plain clothes detective had entered the Whataburger Thursday morning with a gun on his side and a badge clearly visible next to it, according to ABC affiliate KTRK 13.  

Whataburger said that it has apologized to the unidentified Friendswood Police Department officer for turning him away

That’s when an employee at the Whataburger branch informed the cop that it was store policy not to serve customers who openly carry weapons inside the restaurant. 

Police said that the detective attempted to explain to the manager that he was an officer, but all to no avail. 

After word spread through town about the incident, loyal customers of the Whataburger brand expressed outrage that a law-enforcement officer would be subjected to such treatment. 

‘I think it stinks,’ one eyewitness told KTRK 13. ‘Our law enforcement are.. our heroes, they shouldn’t have done that.’  

The eyewitness, who did reveal her name, said that the officer only wanted a cold glass of water before being asked to leave. 

The police department said that the plain clothes detective had entered the Whataburger Thursday morning with a gun on his side and a badge visibly on his side 

The police department said that the plain clothes detective had entered the Whataburger Thursday morning with a gun on his side and a badge visibly on his side 

Whataburger released a statement the next day apologizing for the incident, expressing remorse for what it called an ‘unfortunate misunderstanding.’

‘It was an unfortunate misunderstanding of our open carry policy, and we’ve talked to the detective to make this right,’ the statement reads. 

‘He was understanding, accepted our apology and said he plans to come back to Whataburger. Our company policy allows law enforcement with proper identification to open carry at our restaurants, and we’ll be reinforcing this policy with employees through additional training.’

The statement added: ‘We’ve also been in contact with the Friendswood Police Officers Association. We want to make it clear that this detective and all law enforcement are welcome in our restaurants and we’re proud to serve them.’ 

 

 

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