A New York City Shake Shack came under fire after three police officers said that the milkshakes they consumed had been tainted with bleach. After an investigation into the matter, it turns out that foul play was not at hand.
Three members of the 42nd Precinct in the Bronx stopped by a Shake Shack located on Broadway just off Fulton Street on Monday evening after being assigned to stop by a protest. It was there that they began to consume milkshakes that had a funky taste. They accused the chain of mixing bleach into their drinks, and the three were taken to a nearby hospital where they have since been released. Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison shared details on Tuesday that an investigation by the NYPD Manhattan South department determined that “there was no criminality by Shake Shack’s employees.” They discovered that the issue at fault was cleaning solution not thoroughly wiped off on one of the restaurant’s machines.
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After news relieving the food chain of wrongdoing, Shake Shack put out a statement. “Our team is working hard to get the full picture,” the message said. “In the meantime, we’re relieved to hear the officers are all okay.” Before being cleared, though, the company was appalled at what was being accused of them, saying in a statement that they were “horrified” after learning of the report, before explaining that they’ll be working closely with the police department to figure out what happened. The Police Benevolent Association chimed in on the matter after the initial reports from the three officers surfaced. In a since-deleted tweet that was captured by the New York Daily News put out by the organization, they feel it’s unacceptable that officers “cannot afford to let our guard down for even a moment.”
Across the country, police officers have come under a heavy microscope stemming from the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis officers. Protests have swept across the nation, calling for defunding of local police departments, some of these protests even turning into scary situations. This was the case in Washington D.C. just minutes before President Donald Trump was set to address the nation as protesters were struck with tear gas to clear out the scene.
Some cities have already begun to re-evaluate their police departments, such as in Los Angeles and New York City, where funds have been taken from them and moved to other areas in the community.
