The Columbus Police temporarily shut down an Ohio restaurant on Monday, after an officer found a piece of glass inside the sandwich he was eating. The officer has already been released from the hospital. Police have found no intentional reason in the incident.
The identification of the police officer remains unknown. The event took place at 2:46 p.m. in the Lincoln Cafe located at 740 East Long Street, as reported by the Columbus Division of Police. The officer noticed the glass after hearing a crunching noise.
The officer injured his mouth while eating the sandwich. The Columbus Police said on Wednesday that he “was doing fine,” after physicians conducted medical exams on him. A manager at the restaurant told NBC that law enforcement officials frequently visit the place.
“We have a good customer base. The Columbus Police Department supports my business, so there are no issues. The Columbus Police Department works well with our business,” Lewis told NBC.
The Columbus Public Health Department has already inspected the place. Inspectors have encountered fragments of glass in the same location where plates are wiped. They also found that some glass plates had chips on the upper edge, added NBC.
Inspectors said the restaurant is already safe from contamination. The investigation is still ongoing, although police said on Tuesday that there was no reason to believe that the case was intentional.
José Rodriguez, a spokesman for the health department, remarked that inspectors are not conducting a criminal investigation. He added that incidents like that are not frequent in restaurants.
FYI on officer injured by glass in sandwich: At this point in the investigation there is no reason to believe it was intentional. #CPD
— Columbus Ohio Police (@ColumbusPolice) July 19, 2016
Police and restaurants have had a complicated relationship over the last two weeks
A Taco Bell cashier reportedly refused to attend police officers on Saturday at Phenix City in Alabama. Tammy Mayo, the wife of a Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputy, made a post on Facebook about the incident.
The cashier apparently told a couple of deputies that the restaurant did not serve law enforcement officials. A spokesperson for the restaurant’s owner told the Daily News that the employee has already been fired.
Mayo added that a woman who was waiting for her order supported the cashier’s idea and requested a refund, adding that she did not want to eat near a cop officer. Mayo said that she found the event disturbing.
“This really disturbs me that people have started treating law enforcement professionals in this manner when these same deputies put their lives on the line everyday to protect all people,” said Mayo.
A similar incident took place last week in Skagit County, Washington, where the owner of a restaurant banned the entry of law enforcement officers. The event caused immediate controversy among users of social media.
***UPDATE*** 7/19/16 12:45pm The officer cut with glass from a sandwich yesterday has been released from the hospital and is doing fine.
— Columbus Ohio Police (@ColumbusPolice) July 19, 2016
The Skagit County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement saying that officers were disappointed, but they still respected the restaurant’s decision. The owner of the Lucky Teriyaki has apologized for the event and has invited officers for a free lunch at the restaurant.
While some employees do not appreciate the presence of law enforcement officials at restaurants, others such as the Bullpen Sports Bar & Grill in Washington are organizing a police appreciation day.
Source: The Daily Mail