Some ‘joke’, Davenport doesn’t exactly sound like it was a joke.
Via CBS:
An Arby’s clerk in Florida accused of denying a police officer service for being a police officer has met with company executives and has been handed down a punishment, reports CBS Miami.
Kenny Davenport, 19, said he was working when Pembroke Pines Police Sergeant Jennifer Martin pulled up to the drive thru window. But he says their interaction was a joke that was taken the wrong way.
According to a police report on the incident, Martin was told by Manager Angel Mirabal at the restaurant that an employee, now identified as Davenport, did not want to serve her. Mirabal allegedly said, “He doesn’t want to serve you because you are a police officer.”
After the uncomfortable encounter, Martin said she was uncertain she wanted to eat at the restaurant because her food may be tainted. The manager tried to assure her everything was fine, and handed over her food.
According to the report, the manager allegedly laughed and said the clerk was allowed to refuse service to the officer.
CBS Miami reports that Davenport met with company executives Friday morning where he was put on leave with two days pay.
“This was a complex and difficult decision, but as a company that highly values trust and fairness, we ultimately found that the crew member was not involved other than to attempt to remedy the situation,” said the company’s CEO Paul Brown in a statement. “We have reviewed our process and decision with the Pembroke Pines Police Department who made it clear they consider the case closed.”
The manager, on the other hand, was fired.